


6 AM Wake up Call

by Tonks32



Series: Castle: AM Series [6]
Category: Castle
Genre: Action/Adventure, Am Series, Drama, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 19:19:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 54,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18923407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tonks32/pseuds/Tonks32
Summary: An early start to the morning and career day, a pretty easy day for the Castle household. It doesn't stay that way for long as something is bothering Nate that is far more troubling than a normal seven-year-old problem. 3rd in AM series





	1. 6 AM Wake Up

   The sound of little feet padding across the floor awoke Castle way too early for his liking. He didn’t bother to look up knowing it was Brianna. The two-year-old had developed the bad habit of sneaking out of her bed and into theirs. It was more of an annoyance for the adults as they had to make sure they were fully dressed after they made love, no matter how tired they were. Most of the time Brianna would try sneaking into Nate’s bed, but there were some times Nate wouldn’t let her sending her seeking their bed.

   Beckett awoke to the bed shifting under the weight of her daughter. “Your turn,” She mumbled to her husband.

   Castle made a noise as Brianna wiggled between him and Beckett. “Bree, what time is it?”

   “I dunno.” The girl replied, her hazel-blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

   Castle cracked an eye open and couldn’t help but smile at the state of her curly hair. The shade was a lighter brown matching Beckett’s rather than his and right now it was just one big ball of knots. Beckett was going to have a great time trying to brush it out. “Why are you out of bed?”

   “Lonely.” Brianna lay down with her head on her father’s pillow. “Mommy home now?”

   “Yes, baby.” Beckett turned so she was facing her husband and daughter. Though since having Brianna she has been taking to the streets less, cases like her current one demanded that she did. It was one of those rare times that she didn’t make it home after both kids were in bed. Beckett ran a hand over her daughter’s crazy hair, “sorry I didn’t make it home to tuck you in.”

   “S’okay.” The two-year-old assured snuggling into her arms.

   As much as Castle didn’t want to encourage Brianna’s habit, he couldn’t deny he enjoyed these quiet moments. Smiling, he slipped an arm around both of his girls and pulled them close as possible.

   Two hours later, Beckett was moving around the kitchen trying to divide her time in making breakfast and making Nate’s lunch. She had struggled a little with the balance when Nate started school. Of course, Castle had been there helping her along the way has already been through this with Alexis. It was a little harder when she had to keep an eye out and make sure Brianna wasn’t getting into things she wasn’t supposed to. The girl’s favorite thing to do in life was explore. Just last week Beckett had found her sleeping in one of the kitchen cupboards with her favorite stuffed animal named Red.

   “All right Nathan, your favorite.” She laid a plate in front of the seven-year-old, “French toast and scrambled eggs.”

   The boy brushed his chestnut hair out of his eyes to look at it and half-heartedly pulled it closer to him, “Thanks, mom.”

   “Hey,” She reached across the counter to lift his blue gaze to hers, “what’s wrong, Nate?”

   “Nothing.”

   In mom terms that meant something. This was the first experience with her son not sharing whatever was bothering him. “Did you have a nightmare?” Every so often Nate would dream about Grey and how close the monster came in killing Jeremy. No, that wasn’t it. If he had one of those dreams then he would have come and woken one of them up.

   “No.” Nate stabbed his fork at the eggs.

   “Are you embarrassed that I’m coming to school for career day?” If that was the case it was news to her because up until now he had been talking none stop how he thought it was so cool she was coming to talk to his class.

   “No, I think it’s cool that you’re coming.”

   “Are you sick?” She hated seeing him look so down.

   “I’m fine mom.”

   Beckett decided it was best not to push. Instead, she turned her attention on making his lunch while keeping an eye on Brianna. She was sitting in the chair next to her brother coloring. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Brianna try to engage Nate and was shut down. Something was wrong. Nate, no matter how annoyed he might be at her, would never shrug off Brianna and her attempts to talk to him. “Okay lunch is done.” She placed the Doctor Who lunch box on the counter in front of him. “Finish eating up and watch your sister for a moment so I can finish getting ready.”

   “Okay,” Nate muttered.

   “Rick?” Beckett pushed her way into the bathroom and called for her husband who was in the middle of his shower.

   He popped his head out the shower glass door with his hair dripping wet. “Wanna join?” He asked suggestively with a smile. Their mornings were always so rushed that they hardly had any time together before she took Nate to school and went to work.

   “Something is wrong with Nate.”

   His face sobered and he reached to turn off the water even though he still had soap in his hair. “What do you mean?” He took the towel she offered and wrapped it around his waist.

   “I don’t know.” Beckett hitched herself on the bathroom counter. “He’s hardly talking to me and hasn’t touched his breakfast.”

   “Maybe he’s not hungry.”

   “It’s French toast.”

   That was the first warning sign right there; Nate always ate French toast, especially when Beckett made it. “Did he have a bad dream?”

   “That’s what I thought, but he said no. ”

   “Hmm….” Castle rubbed another towel over his hair, “think Brianna tried to wake him up too early and he never went back to sleep.”

   “Maybe.” Beckett chewed on her bottom lip as she thought of a thousand other things that could be bothering her son. She just didn’t like how gloomy he looked in the kitchen. Nate was always a ray of sunshine, even on his bad days.

   “Nervous about career day?” Castle asked.

   “About talking to a bunch of seven-year-olds,” Beckett looked at him, “I’m terrified.”

   “Come on you’ve faced down New York’s toughest suspects and you can’t talk to a bunch of kids?”

   “It’s different. They’re going to be the on integrating me.”

   Laughing, Castle kissed the wrinkle that formed between her brows, “You’ll do great and maybe since     you’ll be hanging out with Nathan all day at school you can figure out what’s wrong with him.”

   “Sure you don’t want to take my place?”

  “I don’t think the kids would like to know about an author’s life. A cop is so much more exciting.”

   “Admit it, you’re just as scared.”

   “I never said that.”

   Beckett stole one more kiss and hopped off the counter, “What do you have planned for today?”

   “Figured Bree and I can go visit Alexis and see how she’s doing. The doctor says she’s due any day now.” He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was going to be a grandfather soon. He barely recovered from giving her away at her wedding. “Jeremy is taking his detective exam today.”

   “I know.” She had been helping coach the boy in any way she could. Jeremy had been spending a lot more time on her floor at the twelfth poking around trying to get a feel for real detective work. Gates even assigned him as an aid once or twice to help Ryan with cases. “Already have a dinner planned for him depending on the news.”

   Castle cornered her against the sink when she tried to leave. He gently cupped her face between his big hands, “I haven’t told you I love you today, have I?”

   “No.”

   He lowered his mouth to hers and indulged himself until her hands were gripping his shoulders. It was a nice reminder that after nearly ten years together they had the same spark between them as they did when they first got together. Smiling, he shifted as the towel did nothing to hide the effect of the kiss. “I love you, Kate Beckett.”

      A warm smile split across her face, “I love you too Rick Castle. Now wish me luck!”

     “Luck!” He called after her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   “Dr. Castle?” Castle called out his warning as he let himself into the apartment. He made the mistake one time dropping by unannounced and now has an image burned into his brain of Jeremy’s backside and his daughter that he would rather forget.

   “In the bedroom,” Alexis answered.

   Brianna took off in that direction and gave a shout of glee before crawling onto the bed, “Lexi.”

   “Hey pumpkin,” Alexis ran a hand down her sister’s braided hair. “Giving dad more grey hairs?”

   “Yep,” Brianna grinned.

   Castle entered the bedroom holding up a plastic grocery bag, “Brought some double fudge ice cream.”

   “Give me,” Alexis begged her hand already extended. “I have such a bad craving for chocolate it’s not even funny.”

   Castle dug out a spoon and the pint of ice cream and gladly handed it over to his eldest daughter.

  “How are you feeling today?”

   “Like a whale.”

   “Baby?” Brianna touched Alexis’s swollen stomach.

   “Is doing okay,” Alexis assured before digging into her ice cream.  

   Castle noticed the way Alexis shifted in bed with a wince. “Kicking?”

   “Braxton hicks. The doctor says that I’ll have him out before the end of the week.” The thought both terrified and delighted her. Alexis hoped that by watching Beckett for the last ten or so years she would be half the mom she was. “You ready to be a grandpa?”

   “No,” Castle laughed sitting on the edge of the bed, “You’re going to be a great mom you know that?”

   Alexis relinquished her hold on the spoon for a moment to rub her belly, “You think so?”

   “Of course, have you guys settled on a name for my grandson?”

   Alexis shared a spoonful of ice cream with Brianna, careful not to let the two-year-old get it all over her face. “We got an idea.”

   He raised a brow, “Care to share?”

   “Well, we wanted to honor those who aren’t with us anymore. His dad and Kate’s mom, but since it’s not a girl we can’t name her Johanna liked we planned.” Alexis shyly looked into her pint, “I don’t want to upset mom with what we decided.”

   “Honey your mother won’t get upset.” Maybe before they patched up their relationship, Meredith would have been offended. Now that their relationship was evolved, he doubted his ex-wife would be upset. “Tell me what you decided.”

   “Kaden Beckett. I know it’s cheesy, but…” Alexis sucked her bottom lips between her teeth to give herself a moment to gather her words.  “Kate, well, she volunteered to be my mom even though I was old enough and didn’t really need one. She loved me even though I wasn’t her own and would have died for me. And before you two were dating she was the person I could go to about women things and well, I just want to thank her and honor her mother at the same time.”

   Castle leaned over to place a kiss to his daughter’s crown, “I think that is perfect. I know Kate will think the same thing.” 

   “How was Kate feeling about career day?” Alexis asked digging back into her ice cream.

   “It’s Kate, how do you think she feels?”

   “Nervous. What about Nate? Is he excited or embarrassed about having his mom at school?”

   “I don’t know.” He pulled Brianna onto his lap before he could steal any more ice cream. It still bugged him that neither of them could get Nate to tell them what was wrong. “He was acting a little weird this morning. He passed up French toast.”

   “He never passes up French toast,” Alexis said.

   “Well if Kate can’t get it out of him, maybe you can take a crack at him,” Castle suggested, “play on the sibling code or something.”

   “Tricking him is against sibling rules,” Alexis informed, “Well for parents it is. I can trick him all I want for my own benefit.”

   “Feel up to going to the park?” Castle asked.

   “Park!” Brianna bounced up and down in her father’s lap, “Lexi, park?”

   There was no way Alexis could refuse her sister’s toothy smile, “Let me finish my ice cream.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   “Thank you, Mrs. Castle, for coming in today,” Nate’s teacher, Ms. Shane, greeted Beckett at the door with a warm smile and a firm handshake. “Young Nathan has been getting the class all riled up about you.”

   Beckett watched Nate drop off his jacket at the pegs beside the door before he went to his desk that was towards the back of the classroom. The small desk had Nathan Castle written in big boxy letters surrounded by NYPD stickers she had given him. He looked a little happier as he talked to his deskmate; a young boy about Nate’s age with dusty blonde hair and a pair of green eyes. Beckett couldn’t help but think that they looked too sad for a young boy. “It’s no trouble at all. I have to ask,” Beckett turned her attention back to Ms. Shane, “Has Nathan gotten into any trouble lately?”

   “No,” Ms. Shane thought for a moment, “Nate has been one of the best in the class, minus a few frogs in my desk.” 

      Beckett tried not to laugh at that. She remembered getting the phone call about the certain incident and found herself unable to punish Nate for it. “He just seems really upset and I’m trying to figure out why. Have you noticed anything?”

   “He always seems so happy. He even takes young Daniel under his wing as he is new to the school this year,” Ms. Shane turned to look at the boy and defiantly could tell his small smile didn’t reach his eyes.  The bell rang bringing the teacher to attention, “Are you ready Mrs. Castle?”

   There was no choice even if she wasn’t. Beckett tugged on her jacket and ran a hand over her braided hair to smooth down any wisps. Castle was right. She put away harden criminals. A bunch of seven-year-olds should be a cake walk. Making sure her badge was clipped to her belt, Beckett stood in front of the class after she was introduced. “Hi, guys. My name is Kate Castle, Nathan’s mom, a police officer for the NYPD.”

   “Why don’t you wear a police uniform?” A little girl in pigtails asked.

   A nice easy question to start off with, she could handle that, “Because my rank is lieutenant and that means that instead of patrolling around in a police car I get to be in an office and solve harder crimes.”

   “So how can we tell if you’re really a police officer?” The boy with the sad eyes sitting next to Nate asked.

   The question struck something within Beckett causing her to cross the classroom and kneel down in front of Daniel’s desk. She took her badge off her belt and handed it to the boy. “You ask to see their badge. See it has the city I work in and my rank, which is Lieutenant.”

   “How do you know if it’s real?”

   “See this number right here?” Beckett pointed to the five-digit number, “Each officer is assigned a number. So if you’re in trouble and you don’t trust the officer, you can call 911 and give them the badge number. Plus we’re required to carry around an ID as well.” She watched the boy soak up the badge as if trying to burn it into his memory, leaving Beckett’s mind to wonder. “Go ahead and pass it around.”

   It didn’t get far before a boy behind Nate asked another question, “Is that a real gun?”

   Beckett’s attention shifted away from Daniel to the little boy, “Yes, and no you can’t hold it.” She stated already knowing the question on the tip of the boy’s tongue. Beckett smiled when her son snickered beside her. It was the first upbeat emotion he showed all morning.

   “What’s the best part of your job, Mrs. Castle?” another classmate asked.

   Beckett touched a hand to her son’s shoulder as she made her way back to the front of the class. “I would say putting the bad guy away.” She answered after thinking for a moment. “It’s my way to make sure the streets are a little bit safer.”

   “Do you have a partner?” A girl in the front with a long braid asked.

   “I have two. Their names are Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito. “

   A boy in the back corner raised his hand and spoke when Beckett called on him, “What do we do if a stranger approaches us, like on the playground or at the park.”

   Beckett leaned against the teacher’s desk, “Well if you’re at school you should go to your teacher or another staff member right away. Don’t talk or engage the person for any reason. When playing at the park make sure that you can always see your parent wherever you are. If you can’t see them that means that they can’t see you and keep an eye on things like that. If someone asks you to come with them you start shouting for help and run to your parent. Shouting - will most likely scare the stranger off as you’re drawing attention to them.”

   “Have you ever shot anyone?” The question came out next.

   Beckett gripped the edge of the desk as she glanced at the teacher. This was one of the questions she had dreaded being asked. She knew kids had this idea that cops ran down dark alleys and engaged in firefights every night while they went to sleep. If she said “no” they would know she was lying. So Beckett took another route and narrowed her eyes playfully at the boy, “Not today, but the day is still young.” Thankfully the class laughed and eased the knots in the lieutenant’s stomach.

   A girl with thick glasses raised her hand, “Are there many police officers that are girls?”

   “The force is a happy mix of both males and females,” Beckett assured. Slowly the questions kept coming and Beckett did her best to answer each and every one of them. She told stories of some of her more humorous cases and about an average day in the life of an NYPD police officer and what it was like to rise through the ranks of the police department. Beckett tried to warn them of the dangers of being alone on the street after dark and answering doors for people they didn’t know. She didn’t want to scare them too badly and make them not want to go out into the world. One of the last questions had been if she had ever been shot. Nate’s gaze locked on to hers just as curious, so Beckett had no choice but to tell them the truth. She was hoping that Nate would be much older before he learned the truth. “I have.”

   Ms. Shane stepped out from behind her desk bringing an end to the Q and A session. “Okay, I think that Lieutenant Castle has answered enough of your questions. She’s even kind enough to hang out with us for the lunch and maybe recess if you’re lucky.”

   Beckett blew out a breath of relief that the hard part was over. She looked to her son and he gave her two thumbs up of approval before diving into his desk for something that his teacher asked the class to get.

   Beckett excused herself since she wasn’t needed for a bit and decided to check in with Castle. “Hey,” she greeted and smiled at hearing Brianna’s infectious laughter in the background, “Sounds like someone is having fun.”

   “Yeah, how’d it go?” He wondered.

   “I didn’t faint from stage fright or anything,” Beckett assured. She hated public speaking and for some reason facing those kids were worse than any press conference. “Nathan approved so I must have done something right.”

   “Is he any better?”

   “Not really. I asked Ms. Shane if she’s noticed anything and she hasn’t. I’m hoping maybe at lunch I might get something out of him. How is Alexis feeling?”

   “She thinks she has Braxton hicks but I don’t have the heart to tell her that they’re the real thing,” Castle confessed. “I think she’s trying to ignore it so she doesn’t interrupt Jeremy’s exam.”

   “Are you keeping an eye on her?”

   “Of course.”

   “Keep me posted.”

   “I love you.”

   “Love you too.”

   At recess, Beckett sat on the picnic bench to have the best view of the playground. Lunch had been filled with fun and harmless questions. It seemed the class got the message to stay clear of dark topics by the way Ms. Shane intervened earlier. A few girls came to sit with her on the bench and chatted mindlessly about nothing. One even asked her to braid her hair just like hers. Beckett, of course, happily obliged and was left alone when the girl darted off to show the new braid to her friends. Every time a child had approached her, a part of her braced for the possibility one of them could confess something dark going on in their life.

   Since it seemed that the kids were focused on playing with one another, Beckett looked around in search for Nate. Her son was sitting on a swing with his head bent close to Daniel who was on the swing next to him. Beckett resisted the urge to go over to them. Daniel’s sad eyes tugged at her heart and by the look on Nate’s face, her son’s as well. “You said Daniel was new?” She inquired as Ms. Shane sat next to her.

   “Transferred here about a month ago. His dad is a cop I think.” Ms. Shane informed.

   ‘How does he afford the tuition?” Becket knew on a cop’s salary affording any prep school was nearly impossible.

   “From what I understand it’s his wife’s money.”

   “What does she do?” Why was she so interested? Beckett hated gossip and prying into other people’s business. There was just something about Daniel that perked her interest.

   Ms. Shane thought for a moment, “She passed away a year or so, I believe.”

   “Leu-ten-ant Castle,” A boy with big brown eyes approached her with a kickball in his arms. “Will you play with us?”

   Beckett happily took the ball, “You know what? I would love to. Nathan!” She called out to her son, “Why don’t you and Daniel join us.”

   “Okay,” Nate called back.

   There was a big debate on whose team Beckett would be on, so she took it upon herself to play for both. She started off pitching since it seemed throwing a straight pitch was beyond a seven- year old's capability. She enjoyed watching the delight on the child’s face when their foot connected with the red ball. If the ball came to her, Beckett made sure she made a big show of juggling the ball and dropping it to give the runner enough time to get to first base.

   After three outs, the lieutenant joined the team at bat. She couldn’t help but notice while most of the kids were crowded around one another, Daniel was off to the side. Beckett approached him with a gentle smile, “Its Daniel right?”

   The boy nodded his head sending his shaggy hair into his eyes.

   “I see you’ve made friends with Nate.”

   Again Daniel shook his head.

   “Well,” Beckett wasn’t going to push too much. “Since you guys are friends, maybe I can talk to your dad about letting you come over one afternoon after school.”

   This perked the boy’s attention enough for him to actually look at her, “I’d like that.”

   “I’m sure Nate would too. Now,” She jerked her head towards home plate, “Why don’t you have a go.”

   “I don’t know how to play,” Daniel shyly confessed.

   “It’s easy. Come on I’ll teach you.” She led the boy to home plate and positioned him correctly while explaining in great length how to hit the ball and where to run. Even after her explanation he still looked both hesitant and afraid.

   Nate swooped in with his signature Castle smile, “You can do it, Danny,” Nate encouraged, “Don’t take your eye off the ball.”

   It seemed Nate’s encouragement worked. Daniel signaled for the pitcher to roll the ball. He ran up and missed the ball by a mile.

   “Try again,” Beckett insisted and told him how to correct his approach.

   Daniel adjusted and this time the toe of his foot connected solidly with the kickball and sent it sailing towards third base. The connection startled the boy.

   “Run!” Nate cried and took off towards first base to show Daniel where to go.

   Tears prickled at the corner of Beckett’s eyes as she watched her son celebrate with Daniel when the boy made it to first base. While the other kids ignored the quiet boy, Nate was doing whatever he could to make Daniel feel included and to make him feel important. When Nate jogged back for his turn, Beckett seized him up into her arms.

   “Ugh,” Nate wiggled trying to get free, “Mom, you’re embarrassing me.”

   She set him down even though he only said it half-heartedly. Beckett ruffled his hair, “You’re an amazing kid; you know that.”

   His lips curved in a smile that belonged to his father, “So I’m told.”

   Beckett laughed until her side hurt. Nate was truly a miniature of Castle.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

   “Mom?”

   Beckett glanced in the rearview mirror at her son in the back seat. It was the first time he spoke since they pulled away from the school. “Yes, sweetie?”

   “You were really cool today.”

   A smile crossed her face, “I didn’t embarrass you too much, did I?”

   “Dad would have been much worse,” Nate replied causing his mother to laugh. He was quiet until he dropped his gaze to his fidgeting hands on his lap. “Mommy?”

   “Hmm?”

   “Lying is bad right?”

   The question caught Beckett off guard. His mood had changed so drastically in such a short amount of time. “There are times lying is okay. They’re called white lies.”

   “White lies?”

   “Yes. It’s when a person lies so they don’t hurt a person’s feelings. Like…” Beckett took a moment while navigating through traffic to think of an example. “When Alexis asks if she is fat and I told her no because saying she was would hurt her feelings.”

   “But she is fat.”

   Beckett shook her head on a short laugh, “She’s not fat.” She gently corrected. “She’s pregnant. I guess you can say I lied to her to protect her from getting hurt. “

   “So…” Nate looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror, “Lying to protect someone is okay?”

   The tone of his question had her mommy senses tingling and she pulled off the road to park. She turned in her seat to look at him, “Lying to protect someone and lying because they ask you too because they think it will protect them are two different things. So say if someone told you something, something bad, and asks you to lie to cover it up is bad.” Beckett watched his small brow scrunch in confusion. “Has someone asked you to lie for them, Nathan?  One of your classmates?”

   Nathan opened his mouth to answer and Beckett’s cell phone came to life. She went to ignore it, but saw Castle’s picture and knew she couldn’t.

   Nate’s shoulders relaxed when his mother answered the phone. By the tone of her voice and smile on her face, he knew his sister was about to have her baby, saving him to answer his mother’s questions.

  


	2. 7 PM Labor

  “What took you so long?”

   “Well, hello to you too,” Beckett didn’t take offense to his tone because he was pale as a sheet and looked like he had already worn a trench halfway to China. Hoping to ease some of the worry in her husband’s eyes, she rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his, “How is she doing?”

   “Contractions are really close. Jeremy isn’t here yet and you didn’t answer me. What took you so long?” Castle rambled.

   Beckett placed a hand on their son’s shoulder, “We had to make a quick stop for something.”

   “Is Alexis okay?” Nate asked.

   Castle lifted him into his arms, “Yes, she’s okay. Daddy is just freaking out right now.”

   The seven-year-old grinned, “I can see that. Who has Bree?”

   Beckett watched her husband’s eyes go wide, “Castle, where is our daughter?”

   The non-use of his first name knocked his brain back into gear. Was it weird that he found it slightly sexy the way she called him Castle? She said it in the same exact scolding voice she used when they first met. “Mother has her.” He assured and her shoulders relaxed. “I think they went to go get something to eat.”

   “I’m here. I’m here.” Jeremy came skirting around the corner and stumbling into the waiting room. The young man’s face was filled with a mixture of excitement and terror and was also white as a sheet. His usually polished and pressed police uniform was disheveled and his shirt tail was hanging out in the back. “I’m here! Did I miss it?”

   Beckett placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, “You’re just in time.”

   “Oh god,” Jeremy hunched over to catch his breath. He was in shape, but sprinting up eight flights of stairs without falling down was a bit too much. “I was so scared I’d miss it. How long has she been in labor?”

   “Contractions started early this morning,” Castle answered.

   The officer shot straight up, “And I just now get a call?”

   Castle held up a hand in surrender, “She wouldn’t let me, and believe me you don’t cross a woman in labor.” He glanced at his wife, “Trust me.”

   “Mom is on her way,” Jeremy informed them before stumbling through his wife’s hospital room. “What have I missed?”

   Alexis’s heated glare shot to him, “A lot.”

   “I’m sorry.” He was at her side, taking her hand, and coaching her through the contraction. The way her face contorted with pain made his heartache. He should have been there through all of this. “Why didn’t you call me when you felt the first contraction?”

   Alexis crushed his hand, “Didn’t… want… to… Test...” She seethed the words as the pain reached its peak.

   Jeremy gently pushed her sweat coated hair from her brow, “It was a test that I could have taken again. It’s nowhere near important as you giving birth to our child.”

   “You would have had to wait another six months.” Alexis collapsed against the bed in sheer exhaustion. “You’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

   He pressed his forehead to hers, “I love you so much, Alexis.”

   “Love you too.” She gripped the front of his police uniform, “Dad still wearing a trench out there?”

   “Kate stopped him,” Jeremy assured fetching the cup of ice chips when she asked for them. “Can I get you anything?”

   “Kate,” Alexis whined.

   He gave her a lingering kiss and left to fetch his mother-in-law. Beckett had managed to get Castle to sit and was now trying to keep him breathing and not pass out. “Kate,” He waited until the woman’s gaze turned to her, “Alexis wants you.”

   “Nate,” She touched the boy’s hair, “Keep your dad from losing his mind.”

   “I think it’s too late for that.” The seven-year-old quipped, “But I’ll see what I can do.”

   Laughing, Beckett slipped into the hospital room and greeted her stepdaughter with a huge smile. The redhead looked utterly exhausted after being in labor for half the day. “I’m not sure who is freaking out more, your Dad or your husband.”

   “Heard that,” Both men’s voices travel through the closed door.

   Beckett carefully sat on the edge of the bed and Alexis immediately turned into her side. She rubbed the young woman’s back, “I know you’re tired, sweetie, but I promise it’s all going to be worth it the moment you hold your little boy in your arms.”

   “I don’t know if I have it in me to push,” Alexis softly confessed placing a hand on her swollen stomach.

   “Yes, you do. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

   “I’m afraid.”

   “You’re a healthy young woman, Lex. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” Beckett laid her cheek against Alexis’s damp hair, “Everything is going to be fine.”

   Alexis closed her eyes against the stabbing pain in her side, “What if I’m a bad mother?”

   “Sweetie,” Beckett hugged her closer, “that is not going to happen. You’ve been wonderful with Nate and Brianna since the day they were born. This little boy is going to be loved and have the best possible parents in the world. It’s not all going to be easy, but you can handle it because you have a great support system.”

   “Will you sing to me for a bit?” Alexis softly asked, “Help get my mind off the pain for a bit.”

   Beckett happily obliged and motioned for Jeremy to come back. While she sang to Alexis, she motioned for the man to take post on the other side of the bed. Beckett chose to sing the song she learned from her own mother because it seemed to be the one that soothed her children the most.

   An hour later, Alexis’s screams filled the hospital room while she pushed with all her might on the doctor’s orders. Jeremy was on her left while Beckett was on her right. Having her father in the room was just a little too weird for her to handle. “I can’t do this.”

   “Yes, you can, baby.” Jeremy coaxed brushing his lips across her white knuckles.

   “Stop pushing,” Tara instructed to give the pregnant woman a break. “Okay, one more push and I get the honor of welcoming the next generation of Castle.”

   Beckett bathed the red head’s brow with a cool cloth, “You’re nearly there.”

   “Look at me, Lexis,” Jeremy stroked a finger down her flushed cheek, “You’re doing amazing. One more push baby. One more push and we get to meet our little boy.”

   Alexis took both of their hands and pushed on Tara’s command. It was all a blur to her - time, space, and sound. Nothing registered to her except the cries of her newborn baby and her husband’s sob of joy. She did it. Alexis fell back against the bed struggling to pull air into her lungs. She felt like she just went twenty rounds with an elephant, but she did it. She just brought a child into this world, a child that was created out of love.

   Jeremy buried his face in his wife’s neck, “I love you so much.”

   Alexis was vaguely aware of a click of a camera’s shutter, but it didn’t matter who was taking pictures. All that matter was she was in the arms of the man she loved. “I love you too.”

   With no shame, Jeremy let his tears fall as the wailing baby was placed in his arms. His face was bright red and scrunched up in displeasure. He defiantly had a set of lungs on him, Jeremy mused running a finger down his son’s face. The baby was startled by the gentle touch and his cries tapered off into soft whimpers. He gazed up at Jeremy and the man instantly fell in love. “Look at what we did,” Eyes shining, Jeremy turned to his wife with wordless emotions on his face. “He’s perfect.”

After taking a picture of the new father, Beckett slipped closer to the door. She didn’t want to leave until she could capture the moment Alexis saw her son.

   Alexis took the moment to burn his face into her mind. If this wasn’t the picture of utter happiness, then she didn’t know what was. “Let me see him.”

   Sniffling, Jeremy gently laid the newborn on Alexis’s chest and the baby whimpered as if in protest. “Hey now,” He cooed, “None of that.”

  Beckett took her photo and slipped quietly out of the room to give the new parents their privacy.

   “Hey there baby boy,” Somewhere between sobbing and laughing, Alexis pressed her lips to the boy’s small brow. Beckett had been right. One look and she was helplessly in love with her son. The newborn’s eyes sought hers and he gave a yawn of content to be pressed against his mother’s skin. “I’m your mommy.”

   Castle shot to his feet so fast, that he nearly toppled over his son in the process. “Is she okay?” His voice was shaking with the question. “The baby?”

   Beckett crossed the room to take her daughter from her mother-in-law because the little girl was struggling to get free. “Alexis is fine and so is your grandson, Grandpa Castle.”

   He sighed and collapsed back into the chair, “Thank God.”

   “Baby?” Brianna asked tugging on her mother’s braid.

   “You can see him in a little bit,” Beckett promised sitting next to her son and Martha, “How does it feel to be a great-grandmother, Martha?”

   The actress flashed her million dollar smile, “I am far too young to be that, my dear. I will simply be Grams to all my grandchildren.”

   Nate giggled, “You’re funny Grams. Hi Sarah!” The seven year old happily waved at the flushed older woman. “Alexis is a mommy now!”

   Sarah looked just as frazzled as her son did when he arrived. “Traffic was a nightmare. I was so scared that I wasn’t going to make it on time. Everyone healthy?”

   “Yes.” Beckett passed the photo to Sarah of her son holding their grandchild.

   Tears instantly filled Sara’s eyes, “Oh look at that.” She cradled the phone like it was the most precious thing in the world. “Look at my handsome men.”

   “Guys,” Jeremy came out with a bright smile. “They’re done. You can see her now.”

   Sarah was the first to hold the new baby. “Hey there little man,” She cooed rocking Kaden back and forth while she pressed a kiss to his small brow. “Don’t you look just like your mommy, even got the red hair and lots of it.”

  Kaden’s blue eyes stared up at the woman in wonder.

   “I’m your Grandmother.” Sara stopped and looked towards Beckett, “Did you want that name? I know Grams is already taken.”

   Beckett never really thought about what her grandchildren would call her because she didn’t think she would ever have any. “I can be Nana K or Grandma Kate.”

   Castle smiled down at his daughter, “You look beautiful, pumpkin.”

   Alexis laughed, “I’m a mess, but I appreciate you saying so.” She tugged him down into a tight hug, “I love you, Dad.”

   “Love you too, sweetie,” He pulled away to brush her fiery hair from her tired face, “Your mother should be here in an hour or so.”

   “How’d-.”

   “I called her while you finished your ice cream.” Castle softly admitted.

   “What’s his name?” Beckett asked, letting Brianna lean over to see the new baby.

   “Kaden Beckett.” Jeremy proudly announced sitting on the bed next to his wife. Both Sarah and Beckett looked up from the baby and at them. “We wanted to honor the people in our lives that aren’t here anymore. I know if dad was here that he would love our boy.”

   “We will make sure baby Kaden knows his grandfather,” Sarah assured.

   Alexis linked fingers with Jeremy, “I wanted Beckett for not just your mother, Kate, but you as well. I just, well, you’ve had such a huge impact on my life Kate as both my mother and friend.”

   “You helped me in my darkest time and gave me a kick swift in the ass to get my act together,” A small smile crossed Jeremy’s face, “We wanted our son to have a good strong name.”

   Moved to tears, Beckett wrapped her arms around the young couple and squeezed tight. “I’m honored.”

   “Lexi,” Nate moved to the edge of the pair causing his mother to draw away. He moved his backpack in front of him. “I have something for Kaden.”

   Alexis watched her brother who was constantly shifting his weight from foot to foot like he was a bit embarrassed and a little afraid. “May I?” Alexis asked Sarah holding up her arms for her son.

   With his father’s help, Nate sat on the edge of his sister’s hospital bed. “It’s not much,” He pulled out a tattered and well-loved green dragon from his backpack. “I want him to have this.”

   Castle’s gaze shot to Beckett’s and found her equally as stunned. Just last week they couldn’t pry the stuffed animal from the boy’s hand long enough to give it a run through the wash.

   “But you love Mr. Drake,” Alexis said.

   “I do. He’s a good dragon and he’s protected me from nightmares. I want Kaden to have him because I know Drake will watch over him,” Nate offered the dragon to his sister with his signature grin.

   Alexis took the stuffed animal and held it close so it was just out of the baby’s reach. The motion caught Kaden’s attention and he reached a tiny little hand towards the snout of the stuffed dragon. Once he touched it, Kaden made a gurgling sound that Alexis took as delight. “I think he likes it. Come here.”

   Nate moved closer and winced when his sister kissed his cheek, “Yuck.”

   “Love you too, bud.”

   “All right,” Castle rubbed his hand together, “I think it’s time for Grandpa to hold his grandson.”

   The moment Kaden was settled in the writer’s arms he began to wail at an ear-piercing level.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

    “Okay, mister.” Castle caught his son around the waist, swung him up, and gently dropped him onto the bed. “It’s way past your bedtime.”

   Nate laughed as he bounced a few times before settling, “I’m not tired.”

   “I know it’s been an exciting day, but you have school in the morning.” Castle reminded helping untangle his son’s Met sheets, “How did Mom do at school today?”

   He beamed, “She did great. Everyone thinks I have the coolest mom in the world.”

   “Yeah she’s pretty awesome, isn’t she?”

   Nate slipped under his sheets, “Did Grey shoot Mommy?”

   Castle’s head jerked up at the question, “Why would you ask that?” Grey’s name was mention very solemnly in the house. It was really only brought up when someone had a nightmare. The fact that Nate even said his name made Castle’s blood run cold. Usually the seven-year-old just called him the “monster”.   “Well.” Nate dropped his gaze to his hands, “Someone asked mom if she was ever shot and she said yes. I know mom was hurt.”

   Castle rubbed his hand over his face unsure what to tell his son. Thankfully, Beckett had been lingering in the doorway and took control of the situation. “No, he didn’t shoot me.” The news eased some tension in Nate’s shoulders. “You know as a cop that my job is dangerous, right?”

   “Right,” Nate whispered.

   “But now I stay in the officer a lot more, so I’m not in as much danger, right?”

   Nate nodded, “Where were you shot?”

   Beckett glanced at her husband for some guidance and she opted for the truth. It was always the best policy. Sighing, Beckett pressed a hand in between her breast and felt the fading scar under her blouse. “Right here.”

   “Does it still hurt?” Nate softly wondered.

   “Not much. It was a long time ago. Now,” Beckett sat next to her husband and tickled Nate’s belly until the room was filled with laughter. “You need to get to bed or I’m going to let your father bore you to sleep by reading you the phonebook.”

   “Hugs!”

   Castle happily obliged and gave his son a noisy kiss, “Nate, giving Mr. Drake was a really cool thing you did today.” He gave him another kiss, “Good night.”

   “Love you, Daddy!”

   “Love you too, bud.” Castle moved to let Beckett have a turn.

   “You still not going to tell us what was bothering you this morning?” Beckett asked putting her weight on her hand as she rose to brush a kiss over his brow.

   The boy’s small brow furrowed, “I can’t tell you.”

   “Why?” Castle asked with his arms crossed over his chest. “You know you can tell us anything.”

   “I was asked not to,” Nate explained.

   “Remember what I said in the car?” Beckett reminded poking his belly softly, “Lying to protect someone isn’t always the right thing. Especially if that person is in trouble or has done something wrong.”

   Nate looked at his parents obviously conflicted, “But I promised, and you and Dad always said a person should keep their promise.”

   Castle feather-combed his wild hair, “That’s true, but there are times that breaking the promise is okay. Who asked you to do this?”

   Nate jerked a shoulder.

   “Was it someone from school?” Beckett noticed the small shift in his shoulder’s posture and knew that she had hit the head on the nail. Sighing, she looked at Castle silently asking him if they should press. If they did, she was sure that Nate would end up being upset with them and would not trust to talk to them for a very long time. “All right you don’t have to tell us, honey. You just need to know if you want to tell us you can.”

   “You won’t be in any trouble,” Castle assured kneeling down beside the bed, “And we won’t be mad. We just want to help and we hate seeing you so down.”

   “I’m sorry,” Nate whispered.

   “It’s okay,” Beckett kissed his brow one more time and tucked him in. “Sleep on it, okay?”

   “Love you, Mom and Dad.”

   “Goodnight,” Castle stood and led his wife out into the hallway. Sighing, he closed the door softly behind them since Brianna slept in the room next door. “What do you want to do?”

   “I don’t know,” Beckett confessed starting down the stairs and sought a wine glass from the cabinet. “I thought it was just something simple and he was so happy at the hospital.”

   “You think the teacher is… you know…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Just the thought of someone hurting his son made him enraged.

   Beckett stopped with a wine bottle in her hand, thought a moment, and then shook her head, “No. I mean there aren’t any classic signs of abuse. He’s been eating regularly, no nightmares, or accidents. I think if that was it, he would say something. I think if he could take on Grey with a rock then he would be able to stand up to a teacher.” She poured herself a glass, “I think it has to do with one of his classmates. He’s the kind of boy that just wants to help those who can’t help themselves.”

   “I wonder where he got that from,” Castle smiled, “So do we leave it alone for a day or two and then try again.”

   “I guess so. If we push he’s just going to clam up and resent us,” She patted his hand, “You look tired there Grandpa.”

   “It’s been a hell of a day,” With a heavy sigh, he sat on a barstool. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact I have a daughter that is two years older than my grandson. I mean I tried to explain it to Nate that he’s an uncle and it was just weird.”

   Laughing, Beckett leaned over to kiss him, “When has anything been simple with us.”

 


	3. 9 Am Questions

   “There is the proud grandmother!”

   Beckett looked up at the approaching male detective with a huge smile, “Seven pounds, three ounces, and twenty one inches. Kaden Beckett Dunn.” She happily showed him the pictures on her phone of the newborn and happy parents.

   “Great name,” He smiled as he swiped through the pictures before handing the phone back. “How was career day?” Esposito asked while hitching himself on the edge of her desk. Over the years it had been simply decorated with just her elephants and a few other things. Now it had several framed pictures of her family in different stages plus her wedding photo and Alexis’s. Arthur and his knights were positioned near the elephants and some arts and crafts that Nate had made at school.

   Beckett leaned back in her chair with a smile. Esposito who once prided himself on his slick looks now was starting to gray no doubt thanks to fatherhood. “It was like sitting in the box and getting interrogated.”

   The male detective laughed, “Shoot any of them.”

   “Tempted, but no,” Beckett assured. “How is Lanie doing?”

   “Craving pickles and nachos. I think it might be a girl this time because when she was pregnant with Trey she hardly craved anything.”

   “Could be twins,” Ryan pointed out, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it carelessly onto the back of his chair. “When Jenny was pregnant with the boys she had the weirdest craving in the world.”

   “Dude,” The Hispanic detective paled at the thought, “Don’t even joke about that.”  

   “Three Espositos too many, Javi?” Beckett asked trying not to laugh at the look of terror on his face.

   He shook his head, “No I’m okay with a whole baseball team of kids. It’s the two babies at once that freaks me out. One was bad enough. I don’t know how you and Jenny did it without killing each other.”

   Ryan smiled, “We had our moments, but we got through it. How is Alexis doing?”

   “The birth went without any complications and mommy is happy as can be.” Beckett informed, “She would love a visit from you two if you have the time today.”

   “Already planned to visit Little Castle after work,” Esposito assured.

   “Good morning detectives.” Gates greeted the two men with a smile, “Lieutenant. How was career day?”

   Beckett turned her attention to the captain, “I think I might have recruited a few new bodies to the force in about fifteen years.”

   “That’s great,” Gates pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket, “Did any of the kids come up to you about possible problems at home?”

   Beckett’s brow furrowed, “No sir.”

   The captain handed Beckett a slip of paper with an address and times, “There were two 911 calls from what turns out to be a payphone. They didn’t give their name or anything. Just gave them your badge number. Did you give it to anyone?”

   “The whole class … They wanted to see what a real police badge looked like in case someone tried to use a fake one.”

   “Did anyone seem like they might have trouble at home?”

   Beckett sucked her bottom lip between her teeth in concentration. Her mind immediately went to Daniel but knew if she voiced her opinion she risked alerting the boy’s father and potentially ruin the man’s career if there was nothing wrong. Ms. Shane had told her that the boy had lost his mother not too long ago. Maybe he was still sad about that? What if it was someone else in the class? Beckett tried to think of the other children in the class. To her knowledge, they all seemed happy, none of the classic signs. She would have to find a way to probe Daniel and his father on her own time. “No one said anything and no one seemed to be unhappy.”

   Gates sighed, “Maybe we can arrange another visit in a week or so to see if the children are doing okay.”

   Ryan waited until their boss was out of earshot before speaking, “What is it?” After working with the women for nearly a decade, he knew when something was up. “Kate?”

   “There was a boy.” Beckett softly confessed in case if Gates lingered. “He was a bit shy and asked me about the badge thing.”

   Esposito frowned, “Why did you lie to Gates?”

   “His dad is a cop and he lost his mother not too long ago,” Beckett explained hoping she made the right choice. “I don’t want to send up any red flags if there is nothing against the law going on. Even an accusation will stain the boy’s father and follow him for the rest of his life.”

   “What are you going to do?” Ryan asked with a slight frown.

   Beckett rubbed her brow, “I’m not sure,” She thought to her son’s mood the last two days and couldn’t help but wonder if the two were related. He had admitted to keeping a secret for a friend, so it would make sense. Beckett couldn’t press her son anymore than she already had. It would just make Nate retreat into silence more and cause the boy to start resenting her. “Maybe I can pick Nate up from school instead of Castle and see what I can figure out.”

   “You think maybe if one of us visits Nathan for lunch or something he might open up some more?” Esposito asked, “You know since we’re men.”

   “Maybe, let me try today and see what happens,” In the meantime she would see what she could find out about the boy’s father.  “Did you guys get anything on our victims’ family?”

   Ryan grabbed a file from his desk and they crowded around the murder board to work on their double murder.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

    Beckett arrived a little bit before school let out to join the group of parents positioned outside the school to greet their children when the bell rang. It was easy to pick out Daniel’s father since he was wearing his blues. She didn’t pull his jacket as it would require official paperwork and possibly gather unwanted attention. She ran his name and found out that he had been on the force for nearly five years and was twenty-six years old. He had joined the force at eighteen and judging by his age must have had Daniel when he was nineteen. The picture on his file showed a nice vibrant man. In person that wasn’t the case. Jack Carter looked rough around the edge with hard lines etched into his bearded face. His eyes were dark and had no trace of the youth of the picture that Beckett saw.

   Hooking her shield to her belt and leaving her jacket in the car, Beckett crossed over to the young officer. It wasn’t like she needed the jacket anyway. Spring was blooming and there was a nice breeze to help cut through the stale heat. “Hi,” Beckett greeted Jack with a warm and friendly smile.

   The man’s dark eyes flickered first to her face, then to her badge, and back to her face. “The famous Lieutenant Kate Castle.”

   “Beckett,” She corrected, “I prefer Beckett in the work environment. Famous?”

   Jack rested his large hands on the holster belt around his waist, “High profile cases including a US senator and a conspiracy that rocked the police force.” He cocked his head to the side as the bell rang, “Fully recovered from your last bout with Greenstone?”

   “Yes,” Beckett informed turning to look for her son in the sea of children. The question unnerved her. The recovery from her last encounter with Grey had taken a lot of time to bounce back from. She never reached a hundred percent in the strength of her wrist and the vision in her eye was blurry.  Just at the mention of the man’s name, Beckett skimmed fingers over the fading hard skin on her neck left by Grey from their first encounter. At least harden cartilage left by her shattered cheekbone was easily covered up with makeup.

   Shaking Grey and her mood from her mind, Beckett smiled when Nate spotted her, smiled, and raced to her with a piece of paper in his hand. Beckett caught him in her arms and gave him a swinging hug. “Glad to see you too, monster.”

   “Look, mom,” Nate pulled away to show her the paper, “I made the honor roll.”

   “No way!” She took it and beamed down at him, “This is going straight on the fridge when we get home. I also think this calls for some ice cream.”

   “Yes!” Nate did a fist pump.

   “Hello Leu-ten-ant Castle,” Daniel greeted with an uneasy smile and look at his father.

   “Hello Daniel,” Beckett greeted with the same smile that she did her son. The boy’s shoulder relaxed a little, “How was school today?”

   The sandy haired boy pulled out a piece of paper from his backpack, “I also got on the honor roll.”

   Jack grunted and ruffled his son’s hair, “About time.”

   Beckett tried not to frown at the officer’s reaction, “So, Mr. Carter.”

   “You can call me Jack, Lieutenant.” He corrected.

   “Jack,” Beckett started again, “Nate has talked a lot about Daniel and I was wondering if you would allow Daniel to come over after school for a playdate - maybe Thursday?”

   Daniel looked at his dad hopefully, “Can I, Dad?”

   Jack stuffed his hands in his pocket as he looked at both Beckett and Nate in consideration. Beckett watched both the son and father’s faces. Daniel’s face shined with expectation and Jack’s had something that Beckett couldn’t figure out. She could tell that the man wanted to say no immediately, but seem to change his mind under watchful eyes. “It will save me money not having to pay for aftercare.”

   Beckett didn’t particularly like the answer but accepted it because Daniel looked like he just won the lottery.  “That’s great let me give you my number,” They went through exchanging numbers and a little more pleasantries before Jack took Daniel by the shoulder and ushered him towards the car.  Beckett had to remind herself that just because she didn’t like a person’s parenting style didn’t mean they were doing something wrong. “All right bud,” She placed a hand on her bouncing son’s shoulder, “Think you can calm yourself so we can get you into the car?”

   The boy grinned and settled, “He’s really going to come over Thursday?”

   “Yep. Now let’s go get your homework done so we can go out for ice cream with your sister and father.”

   Nate happily skipped alongside his mother, “Will we see Lexi and baby Kaden today?”

   “Maybe.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   “Dad?” Beckett nearly ran into her father who was coming out of the opposite side of the elevator to the one she and Nate were stepping out of.  

   “Tried to catch you before the elevator door closed,” Jim happily lifted up his grandson onto his hip, “Hey Nate. How was school?”

   “It was great Grandpa!” Nate told him all about Daniel and how he was going to be coming over and what they would be doing.

   Beckett let it go on for a few minutes before she took pity on her father and broke into the conversation. “Coming to visit Alexis?”

   “I figured that I would let the dust settle for a bit before coming around.” Jim followed his daughter down the hallway. “Meredith here yet?”

   “She came in last night,” Nate informed resting his head on the older man’s shoulder. “She and Mommy took me to school this morning before Mommy took Aunt Meredith to the hotel.”

   Beckett smiled and ruffled her son’s hair. They came up with the idea of Nate calling Castle’s ex-wife aunt since the redhead was part of the family and wanted a way to include her. “Let me go see if she’s decent.” Beckett disappeared into the hospital room and appeared a few moments later. “Come on in.”

   “Hey Jim,” Alexis tiredly greeted with her fussing son in her arms.

   The young redhead looked frazzled, tired, and radiating beautiful that came with being a mother. Jim set Nate on his feet before moving to the side of the hospital bed. “You look great,” Jim leaned over to press a kiss to her crown.

   “I’m a mess, but thanks for saying it anyway,” Alexis laughed trying to calm Kaden’s soft cries. “I’m sorry. He just ate so he gets a little cranky afterward.”

   “May I?” Jim opened his arms.

   Alexis shifted her son into Jim’s waiting embrace. “He might spit up.”

   “No worries about that.” Jim smiled at the bundle in his arms.

   Beckett watched complete awe cross her father’s face as he made funny faces down at the fussy baby. It was moments like this she wished her mother was still alive. Beckett took her stepdaughter’s hand, “Where is Jeremy?”

   “He is walking down some of the guys from the station that came to visit.”

   “You look tired.”

   “I am,” Alexis informed brushing her wisps of hair from her brow. “It seems like he doesn’t sleep.”

   “It will be like that for a while,” Beckett reached over to squeeze her hand, “It will get easier, I promise.”

   “What is his name?” Jim wondered gently rocking the baby.

   Alexis smiled, “Kaden Beckett Dunn.”

   Jim face lit up, “That’s a good strong name for a good strong boy.” He bent down to kiss Kaden’s small brow as the baby finally quieted down. “There now, all you needed was your great Pop-Pop.”

   Beckett bit her lip to keep herself from laughing, “Pop-Pop?”

   Jim looked up startled that he said that out loud and started to blush. He looked to the redhead, “I can’t take grandfather, that’s Rick’s title.” He cleared his throat glancing at Nate then back to Alexis. “You’re as much as my grandchild as Bree and Nate. I hope that I have shown you that over the years and I hope that you will allow me the honor to be this little one’s great grandfather.”

   Tears shined in Alexis’s eyes as she beamed. Never once had any Beckett treated her differently because she wasn’t blood. “I would like that very much.”

   “Come on, monster.” Beckett lifted Nate on the bed, “Give your sister a kiss and let’s leave her alone with Pop-Pop.”

   Nate happily complied, “Love you, Lex.”

   “Love you, too.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o

   Castle fell face first into his bed, just a little shy of ten o’clock with an exasperated sigh and enough force to have Beckett bounce a few times. “Whose idea was it to let our two hyperactive children have ice cream?”

   Beckett could barely hear the muffled words, but pushed her glasses up on her face with a smile, “I believe that would be you, Mr. Castle, and that ex-wife of yours.”

   He turned his head to look at her, “I didn’t hear you objecting to the idea.”

   “Brianna got that look in her eye that I couldn’t’ say no to,” Beckett explained, “Which I’m sure she learned from Nate who learned it from you.”

   “Guilty,” Castle stuffed a pillow under his chin to get a better look at his wife, “Nate seems to be in a better mood. Did you figure out what was wrong with him?”

   “No. I invited over one of his friends to come over after school to play and it just cheered him right up.”

   “So it’s safe to say that whatever’s bothering him has something to do with Daniel?” Castle wondered knowing that was where her mind went. “How was he when you were at the school yesterday?”

   “Quiet and a little withdrawn. Nate seems to be bringing him out of his shell and making sure that Daniel is included the best he can.”

   “That’s my boy. You think someone his hurting the boy?”

   Beckett shrugged, “My gut says yes, but I don’t know who it could be. I can’t go on a witch hunt because it could hurt a lot of people with false accusations. I sure as hell am not going to ask the boy outright or use our son to probe for more information.”

   Castle shifted to see if he could catch a glimpse at what was in the file Beckett was reading, “Is this the case that has been keeping you out late?”

   “No we made an arrest today and the DA is officially charging him in the morning. Turns out there was in an illegitimate child that was set to inherit the father’s money only after his two legitimate children passed.” Beckett informed how they found out this detail and how the arrest didn’t go according to plan. Esposito had gone home with a slip lip and ten stitches and Ryan with a black eye. “Gates and the DA are happy with the evidence and motive so our work is done.”

   “A new case then…?” Castle watched the corner of her mouth twitch downward just a fraction, “Kate?”

   “I umm…”

   He raised himself further onto the bed, “Kate?”

   “I may have run some background checks on the teachers at our son’s school.”

   “Katherine Beckett.”

   “I know. I know.” Beckett shut the file and ran her fingers through her hair, “I know I shouldn’t have done this. I just look at that little boy and can’t help but help him. Rick, he looks so sad and miserable with life. A boy that age should be vibrant and full of life. I guess it reminds me of Nathan after Grey. Depressed and worried about the horrors of the world when they should be worrying about what game to play at recess.” It had taken lots of sleepless nights staying with Nate as he had nightmare after nightmare, help from the therapist, and a lot of talking before their son started returning to the kid he was before the attack. “I just want to help him, Rick.”

   “I know you do, babe, but you can’t help everyone.”

   “Are you telling me to just turn my head?”

   Castle shook his head, “No. I’m saying just don’t go on a fishing expedition that can blow up in your face and cause more harm than good.”

   With a long sigh, Beckett closed the file and placed it on the nightstand. “You’re right.”

   “Not those.” Castle caught her wrist before she could reach for her reading glasses. “Have I told you how sexy you look in those things?”

   Grateful for the distraction, she grinned down at her husband, “Yeah?”

   “Yes. You’re very…” He lifted the hem of her shirt and placed a feather-light kiss just below her navel. “Very...” He placed another kiss just an inch above the last. Twenty kisses later, his lips hovered over while her hands gripped his shoulders and her body quivered in anticipation, “…very sexy.”

   “For the love that is all good and holy, just kiss me already,” Beckett growled.

   His laugh was muffled against her mouth when she took upon herself to do the deed. Cupping her face in his hands, he sank happily into her taste and arms. He loved that even after a decade together he could make her tremble with a simple touch. “I think,” he rolled until she was straddling his hips with her hair framing her face and shoulder perfectly, “You’re wearing too many clothes Lieutenant.”

   A large grin flashed across her face, “Is that so?” Beckett popped the first button of her oversized dress shirt that she had stolen long ago from her husband, “I think I can fix that.”

   As Beckett peeled the article of clothing away, Castle silently vowed to never let any harm come to that shirt. “Still too many,” he informed her sitting up to feed on the line of her throat, “We can fix that in a minute.”

   Several of those minutes later, they ended up sideways on the bed and tangled in the sheets with Beckett sprawled on top of her husband. The glasses were long gone by now, having been tossed carelessly aside in the midst of their lovemaking. Beckett laid her head over his racing heart, struggling to get air into her lungs and her brain to start working again. “I’ll move,” she breathlessly promised, “maybe in a week or two.”

   “It’s okay,” Castle’s head lolled to the side, “I don’t think I can move any time soon anyway.”

   “Hopefully Bree won’t find herself wondering in here any time soon.”

   Castle stroked a hand over her sweat matted hair, “Do you think we should get a house?”

   “A house?” Beckett echoed confused.

   “Out of the city so we can have a big house and a nice size yard.” Castle rambled twisting a string of her hair around his finger.

   She tilted her head to look back up at him, “You want to move out of the loft?”

   “Yes and no,” There had been a lot of memories made within the walls of this loft, but they were outgrowing them. They were going to need more of it as Nate and Brianna got older and would want space to call their own. “I mean the loft was nothing but windows and walls until I made it a home with Alexis and mother. We can do that with a new place as well.”

   “I know but you’ve raised Alexis here. I thought you would want to do the same with your other children.” Getting a bigger place wasn’t exactly a bad idea. Plus they wouldn’t be losing the loft as it was essentially paid for just like her apartment that Castle paid for until Jeremy and Alexis took over the lease.

   Castle tucked an arm behind his head, “I want them to have a place to run and have a dog maybe build them a tree house,” He caught the look on her face, “Okay maybe Ryan, Esposito, and myself can build them a tree house.”

   “You want to leave the city?”

   “I love the city, but as I’m getting older I want just something quiet and calm. God knows we could use some of that in our life.”

   Beckett lifted herself so she could look at his face, “It would mean a longer drive to work and see people in the city.”

   “I know and if you’re not ready for the move it’s okay. Or maybe we can find something within the city with a good size house and yard.”

   “What brought this on?”

   The writer shrugged, “I’ve never lived in a house before. I told myself when I became rich and famous I would buy a nice big house with a huge yard, so my herd of children could play while I sat on the back porch and watched with my wife next to me. The house in the Hamptons doesn’t count. It’s not a place to make a home.”

   “The kids will be wanting their own space soon enough. If we get a house we can actually have a guest room for Dad to sleep in instead of the pull out in your office.” Beckett said tapping a finger on his chest, “and your mother could actually get the place to herself or maybe we can a buy a big enough house where she will get a room to herself.”

   The corner of his mouth curved upwards, “You would want mother to come?” At first, the idea of letting his mother move in with him was one of dreed. Now over the years, he couldn’t imagine a house without her. Even if the woman on more than one occasion drove him crazy.

   “Of course, living with your mom has been awkward at times, but it’s been nice having her around. She’s good for you and the kids. I can’t imagine a place without her.”

   He kissed her, “God I love you.”

   “You better,” Laughing she scooped her hair out of her face and tossed it over her shoulder, “Is this a recent idea or something you’ve been sitting on for a while?”

   “I’ve been tossing it around a while in my head,” He softly confessed, “I have found some really nice places in long island. That’s not too far from the station and Nate’s school.”

   “I think it’s a great idea,” Beckett agreed, “Now come on I want to take a shower.”

   Castle happily rolled out of bed and chased after her for round two.

  


	4. 4 PM Play Date

   “Mom!”

   Beckett’s attention shifted to her son who was giving her a big wave and an even bigger smile with Daniel standing shyly at his side.  Cutting through the sea of children rushing about to find their own parent, Beckett greeted her son with a big hug. “How was school?”

    “Okay. We have a spelling test tomorrow,” Nate sourly replied.

   Beckett ruffled his hair in sympathy. Spelling was the biggest thing that Nate struggled with in school. “Well, we will practice when we get home,” She turned her attention to Daniel, “You ready to have some fun?”

   Daniel shook his head.

   “Where is your dad?” Beckett looked around for Jack and didn’t find him amongst the faces of the parents to pick up their children. She did catch sight of Ms. Shane and found that she really wanted to talk to the teacher. “How about you hang out here with your classmates for a few minutes. I want to talk to Ms. Shane.”

   Nate went still with fear, “I didn’t do anything. I swear.”

   Beckett raised a brow at her son’s panic, “That sounds like a guilty conscience to me.”

   “I’ve been good,” Nate defended, before looking to Daniel for help, “Right?”

   Daniel gave a big nod of his head in support of his friend.

   “All right. Stay where I can see you,” Beckett commanded before starting in the direction of the teacher. Ms. Shane gave her a look of acknowledgment and continued talking to a pair of parents for a few minutes. When she was done, Beckett gave the older woman a smile. “Busy afternoon?”

   “Always is at pick up,” Ms. Shane reported, “What can I do for you, Lieutenant Castle?”

   “Please call me Kate.”

   “Kate,” Ms. Shane corrected looking to the two boys who were sitting on a bench engaged in a conversation. Well by the looks of it Daniel wasn’t participating too much. Just simply nodded or smiling as Nate chattered away. “I hear that Daniel is having a play date with Nate.”

   “Heard?”

   Ms. Shane let out a small laugh, “Your son has been talking nonstop about it. Even Daniel looked very excited about it.”

   “Is he always so quiet?” Beckett wondered.

   “Yes though Nate seems to be able to coax a few words out of him now and again in class. I guess if you lost your mother at such a young age, you would be a little withdrawn and have health issues. Daniel misses quite a lot of days, but the principal is acceptable given the circumstance.”

   “How long ago?” Beckett couldn’t help but ask. She did promise Castle that she would not get too involved in Daniel’s life, but the nagging in her heart wouldn’t let her dismiss the boy and his sad eyes so easily.

   Ms. Shane thought for a moment, “I believe not even a year ago. They lived upstate (family came from money) and about a month ago Jack moved them here. My guess is to get away from all the bad memories and whispers.”

   “Do you know how she died?”

   The older woman frowned, “She’s was murdered.”

   So those whispers were no doubt about that Jack had some hand in his wife’s death. It wasn’t uncommon for people to look to the husband when their spouse died. That didn’t mean that the man had a hand in what happened. He wouldn’t have been hired by any station if there was even a hint that he did. Beckett looked at Daniel and frowned herself, “How awful.”

   “According to reports Daniel was home when it happened.”

   “How awful,” That would account for the silence. After the dust settled from their ordeal with Grey, statements had to be taken. That was when they discovered just how much Nate was shaken by the case, through his words and witnessing Grey’s death. It had taken nearly three weeks to get the young boy to open up. Even now as time had passed it seemed details that had been repressed were starting to leak out here and there during dreams.

   “I can’t imagine how he even copes with watching his mother being beaten, then taken. They never did find the body.”

   “Never found it?”

   “According to the news clipping,” Ms. Shane waved the gloomy conversation away. “He seems to be coming out of his shell, thanks to your son. Looks like they’re getting a bit anxious.”

   They were indeed and Beckett abandoned her questioning with a smile to the teacher. “Thanks. Have a good day.”

   Nate jumped to his feet when his mother made her way to them. “Are we going to go now?”

   “Yep,” Beckett assured leading them to the car.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   Beckett unlocked and opened the door to allow Nate to rush inside while Daniel hesitated. “Come on in,” she beckoned and led the boy inside. She watched the boy’s eyes wander around the loft and took everything in as he shuffled inside. “Let me take your backpack and coat.”

   After considering the request for a moment, Daniel shrugged his backpack off and handed it to the lieutenant. “I’ll keep my sweater on,” he quietly said before taking his shoes off next to Nate’s.

   “What would you like to drink while doing your homework?”

   He looked startled by the question, “Can I have a soda?”

   “One Sprite coming up. Nate?” Beckett turned to her son.

   “One for me too,” Nate waved Daniel over to the kitchen counter and climbed up with his homework in hand. He waited as Daniel retrieved his own homework and climbed up next to him before turning his attention to it and tried not to groan. He hated spelling something his father found amusing because of his profession. It was becoming clear that he was not destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. Well until his mother was free, Nate would concentrate on writing out the words in hopes to help imprint it into his memory.

   Daniel followed suit and put on his effort in making sure the letters stayed between the two lines. Beckett turned to see the determination on Nate’s face and a mix of it with something else on Daniel’s face. The more time she spent with the boy the more she wanted to find out more about him. “Here you go,” Beckett announced setting the two glasses of Sprite in front of the two boys.

   Daniel was startled by her voice and his pencil scratch out of the line and up the paper. His face paled a little before he attacked the line with his eraser. “Sorry,” his voice squeaked a little and refused to look up from the paper.

   “I didn’t mean to startle you,” Beckett apologized wondering why he looked so frightened all of a sudden. She looked to Nate in hopes for an explanation and only got a shrug though she had a feeling that he knew more than he was letting on. Beckett looked to see the line was gone and offered Daniel a smile, “No harm done. Now, do you want me to help with your spelling?”

   Once again Daniel looked startled by her question as if no one ever offered to help him with his homework. Nate spoke distracting his mother from his friend’s reaction, “Spelling is stupid.” He hunched his shoulders at her scolding look.

   “Nathan,” She said in warning, “You’ll need it for later in life.”

   “You said that about math.” Nate kindly pointed out, “and social studies.”

   Beckett folded her arms across her chest, “Social studies taught you a lot about where you live. Even helped you figure out how to get home from school and the station.”

   Defeated, Nate dropped the subject and handed over the list with spelling words. “Will you please help us?”

   She took the list and leaned against the counter to give the first word to her son. “Sentence.”

   Nate’s brow instantly furrowed as he struggled to arrange the words in his head. He hadn’t told his mother that letters and numbers got jumbled up in his head. Especially when trying to read aloud. “S…E…N…” He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before pushing ahead, “T…E…N…C…E?”

   “Good job!” Beckett turned to Daniel, “All right Daniel your word is perfect.”

   “P…E…R…” Daniel tapped his fingers against the counter, “F…E…C…T.”

   “Way to go.” Beckett watched Daniel blush at the praise.

   For the next ten minutes, Beckett took turns asking the boys their words only having to correct them a time or two. She noticed that with each word she asked her son, Nate chewed on the bottom of his lip in hard concentration leading her to wonder if his hatred for spelling was fueled by a learning disability. “All right let me see your writing.” Both boys pushed their papers to her for inspection. Nate’s handwriting was a bit wobbly but improving since the start of the school year. Daniel’s writing was nicely formed letters with a bit of shakiness to it. Satisfied with their work, Beckett gave them back to their respective owners. “I think all this hard work deserves a little fun.”

   “Yes!” Nate jumped off the stool and looked to Daniel, “Whatcha wanna do Danny? We got board games and toys. Or we can play Wii sports. We can also just watch a movie or I can introduce you to the best show on earth Doctor Who.”

   “What’s a Wii?” Daniel asked with a small tilt of his head.

   That decided it and Beckett watched amused while Nate explained the controls and the rules. She poured two glasses of grape juice for the boys since they had their soda quota for the day and set them on the coffee table they pushed aside. Beckett snagged her tablet and sat on the table to keep an eye on the two boys. She typed in Jack Carter in the search engine and at least fifty articles popped up. There were a lot more but she ignored them as she loaded the first promising article. It detailed the circumstances of that night. Apparently, it happened just after midnight and Jack wasn’t home because of working the graveyard shift. The house across the street called 911 after seeing a figure carrying something that looked like a rolled up carpet. That’s when they found Nate covered in blood huddled in his parent’s bedroom where the attack happened. The article continued to say that even though there wasn’t a body at the scene that the amount of blood found by the coroner ruled that no one would be able to survive.

   Beckett looked up to see the two boys engaged in an epic sword battle both on screen and in real life.  Her son had his tongue tucked in his check while Daniel looked like he was having the time of his life. She was surprised that they could see anything since their hair was falling in their eyes and they were constantly pushing it out of their way. Beckett set a reminder on the tablet for an appointment to have Nate get a haircut, before diving back into the articles. These were more focused on Jack and the suspicion that was turned on him. However, the case seemed to lack physical evidence and he also happened to pick up an extra shift that night.  There was an investigation launched and IAB got involved only in the end no formal charges were brought up.

   She looked up laughing when Nate took a fatal blow and began to die a dramatic death that took a good three minutes to end.

   “Looks like he’s hanging around mother too much,” Castle spoke from the open doorway.

   Beckett jolted along with Daniel having not heard the door open, “Where is Bree?”

   Daniel spun around so fast he was facing the unknown man while backing up hastily to hide behind his friend. In his actions, he bumped against the coffee table spilling both glasses of grape juice on the wood floor.  “Oh, God, I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry.”

   Castle frowned at how pale the boy became as he apologized profusely over and over again. The boy was bone pale. “Daniel, it’s okay,” he assured rushing to get a dish towel from the kitchen so he could toss it to his wife.

   Beckett reached to place a reassuring hand on Daniel’s shoulder only for him to jerk back from her touch terrified. Her heart sank to her stomach and she hurriedly started to soak up the juice. “See no big deal.”

   “Yeah, Danny,” Nate patted his friend’s shoulder, “See it’s all gone. No harm, no foul.”

   “I got some on the couch,” Daniel stammered out inching his way to the open front door. “I’m so sorry.”

   Castle glanced at the dime size spot near the bottom of the couch. “That little spot? It’s no big deal.” Still, the boy looked scared shitless. “Nate, why don’t you take him up to your room for a bit.”

   “Okay,” Nate gently took his friend by the arm and took him upstairs.

   Beckett frowned turning her attention to Castle, “You can’t tell me that is a normal reaction to spilling a glass of juice.”

   Castle followed his wife into the kitchen, “Okay you’re right.  Something is definitely happening to that boy.”

   She threw the dish towel in the sink, “The thing is I don’t know if he’s being abused or he’s still reeling from seeing his mother murdered.”

   “Murdered?”

   She turned around to lean against the counter, “I found out from the teacher today. It happened about a year ago,” Her heart ached just thinking about the fear that Daniel must have felt that night. “It happened in the middle of the night while his father was working the midnight shift.”

   Castle joined his wife leaning against the counter himself with his arms crossed over his chest, “They catch the guy?”

   “No. They never even found the body. The ME reported that no one would survive the blood loss that was found at the crime scene,” Beckett explained, “There wasn’t much physical evidence and they eyed Jack for it but was cleared in the end.”

   “Nothing?” Castle scoffed at that. “Didn’t you say she came from good money? They couldn’t find some motive in that?”

   “According to the article, Grace Carter was a well-liked woman, involved in the community, and was a stay-at-home mom. The articles were vague and only had a few interviews from neighbors and family.”

   “Well, he got really terrified of me when I came through the door so maybe whoever killed his mother was a male.”

   “His reaction would seem so. God, I just want to help him see the world isn’t going to hurt him.”

   Castle slipped an arm around her shoulder to pull her close, “He looked pretty happy playing with Nate. Maybe that’s what he needs most, a friend who can show him just that.”

   Beckett dragged a hand through his hair, “So where is our daughter?”

   “With mother at the park. Seeing my publisher was no place for a hyperactive two-year-old.” He couldn’t help but smile, “Found that one out with Alexis.”

   Beckett tried not to laugh. Over the years Gina’s relationship had improved with Castle thanks to the growing number of Nikki Heat books and the revival of Derek Storm. The fact that Castle was also working on new standalone books bringing in sales seemed to help. The blond-headed woman occasionally joined them for family functions, but Beckett knew Gina held some bitterness towards her for being the one that could hang on to Castle. “Everything go okay?”

   “Sales are up for Nikki Heat, and she started to press details on my book about 3XK.”

   “You sure you’re ready to write that one?”

   Castle shrugged, “Who knows, maybe it will help flush him out.”

   “By painting yourself as a target?”

   “Well, I’m not using the real names or many details from the murders. In the end, it could just be another best seller without him ever noticing,” He kissed the wrinkle that had formed on her brow. “Don’t worry about it so much, babe.”

   “I always worry about you,” she replied, “It comes with the job of being your wife.”

   “And you do such a great job.”

   Two hours later, Jack knocked on the door to pick up Nate. Castle having introduced himself as Nate’s father some time ago walked him to the door. “Did you have fun?”

   “I had a lot of fun. Thank you for allowing me to come over, Mr. Castle.”

   “Anytime,” Castle opened the door to greet Jack with a smile and nearly wanted to frown at the hard look on his face. He felt the boy stiffen next to him and fought the urge to ask Daniel if he even wanted to go home. Was it possible that Daniel’s actions were more than just seeing his mother murdered? “Hello! You must be Jack,” he offered a hand to the officer, “I’m Richard Castle.”

   “The writer,” Jack muttered shaking his hand. “Ready to go?”

   “Yes,” Daniel took the backpack Nate held. “Thank you for hanging out with me.”

   Nate smiled, “I had a great time.”

   “Maybe we can arrange for another play date.” Castle suggested causing hope to spark across the blonde head’s face.

   Jack with his grim face looked down at his son before shrugging, “We’ll see. Come on, Daniel.”

   Castle was stunned by the lack of conversation as Jack walked away with his son. “Well aren’t you a cheery one,” he grumbled shutting the door.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   “Alexis?” Beckett let herself into her old apartment after her knock went unanswered, just as Friday slipped into Saturday. She suspected that she wasn’t heard over the wailing cries of Kaden. Locking the door behind her, Beckett moved to the master bedroom to see Alexis frantically pacing back and forth trying to sooth the newborn. The young woman looked at wit's end and about to cry herself. “Alexis.”

   “I don’t know what’s wrong,” Alexis turned to her stepmother with a plea in her voice. “He won’t stop crying. I tried feeding him and he just won’t take it. I changed him and still nothing.”

  Beckett dropped her coat carelessly on the bed, “Where is Jeremy?”

   “He had to cover for someone. I don’t know when he will be back.” Alexis carefully maneuvered the baby to her shoulder to see if the change in position helped. It didn’t. Kaden continued to scream his head off. “I can’t do this Kate. I don’t-.”

   “Hush now,” Beckett cut her off and steered her towards the rocking chair that was near the small bassinet. She rubbed the baby’s small back, “Rock gently.”

   Alexis was fighting tears when the baby continued to cry, “What am I doing wrong?”

   “Nothing sweetheart,” Beckett tried to assure. “Let me see him.”

   Alexis almost happily gave him up, “He’s been like this for hours.”

   “Hey now,” Beckett whispered to the baby while she cuddled him close to her breast. “Alexis get a blanket and put it on the bed.”

   Alexis went to comply while Beckett started to sing to her grandson. Kaden’s cries start to soften, but they didn’t stop. She felt like a horrible mother. The fourth night home with her son and he was so unhappy he was screaming like a banshee. “I can’t do this Kate,” She turned with tears streaming down her face, “I’m such a horrible mother. I can’t do this.”

   Beckett didn’t answer. She laid the crying baby in the middle of the blanket and expertly swaddled Kaden tightly while continuing to sing to him. Slowly, Kaden began to calm until he let out a big yawn while his eyes grew heavy. “There now,” Beckett carefully picked him up and placed him against her breast once again. “Go splash some water on your face and then make yourself some tea. Take a moment to yourself. I’ve got Kaden for now.”

   Alexis fled from the room without a word.

   Beckett walked around the room in a circle while humming and whispering to Kaden. After ten minutes or so, the baby was fast asleep in her arms and Beckett could hear the soft sobs from Alexis in the other room. She remembered her first break down after Nate was born.  Castle had been out of town on a book tour leaving her alone with Nate who was just a month or so old and he wouldn’t sleep for a second. Every time she put him down Nate would start screaming at the top of his lungs. Nothing would soothe him and Beckett remember calling Martha begging for help. It took her mother-in-law an hour to calm her down after finally getting Nate to sleep. It turned out the boy had gas.

   That didn’t seem to be the case with Kaden. He just simply liked being wrapped up tightly and warmly. “Now be a good boy,” She softly kissed her grandson’s head and placed him in the bassinet. “Let your mommy rest for a little bit before you go off again.”

   Alexis was curled into the couch sobbing into her hands so hard that she was shaking. Beckett sat down and simply pulled Alexis into her arms to allow her to cry onto her shoulder. For now, she didn’t offer any words of comfort, knowing for a fact that Alexis wouldn’t accept any of it. The first few nights were always the roughest and the fact that Jeremy wasn’t here didn’t help either.

   After a while, Alexis pulled away to scrub her blotchy face, “I don’t know if I can do this, Kate. I don’t know how to be a mother, I mean I didn’t really have one until you came along. How am I supposed to be a mother when I have no building blocks to go off of?”

   “Motherhood is a learning experience,” Beckett informed brushing a stray lock of red hair from the younger woman’s face. “Do you think I had a clue what to do when Nate came along? Even your father struggled because he hadn’t a clue how to raise a boy. He feared that he wouldn’t be the father that Nate deserved so he went to my father for advice. Parenthood, no matter how many times you do it, is a learning experience.”

   “It seemed so much easier at the hospital.”

   “That’s because you had a routine. It’s only been four days at home and you two haven’t established a hard routine with Kaden. I promise you once you get things going it will be so much easier.”

   “I’m just so tired,” Alexis confessed pushing her loose hair from her face, “I have to get up every time to feed Kaden. I try to pump but when I get a free moment to myself I just fall right asleep.”

   “You’re going to be tired for a while. Most newborns only sleep an hour or two for the first few months. So you need to find time to pump so Jeremy can help share the task of feeding him. That little sleep that you get will go a long way.”

   Alexis pulled her legs to her chest and laid her cheek on top of her knee, “You make it look so easy, Kate.”

   Beckett shook her head on a long laugh, “You didn’t see all the times I cried myself to sleep because I couldn’t calm Nate or Bree down. Your father would take them and they would stop almost instantly. I felt like a horrible mother and had more breakdowns then I care to admit. It will get easier I promise.”

   “I’m sorry I woke you up in the middle of the night just to give me a pep talk.”

   “I told you a long time ago that you can call me anytime and I will be there for you as fast as I can.” Beckett stroked a soothing hand over Alexis’s frazzled hair, “I’ll keep watch over Kaden, so why don’t you get some sleep.”

   “I can’t do that. You have better things to do than look after my kid at twelve thirty in the morning.”

   “Yes and that is taking care of my daughter,” Beckett said, “Go get some sleep.”

   Alexis gave Beckett a hard hug, “I love you.”

   “Love you, too,” She kissed the top of her stepdaughter’s head, “Now go.”

   When one am rolled around, a tried Jeremy dragged himself through the door with a nice warm bed on his mind. He stopped short of that destination when he saw his mother-in-law pacing with his fussy son in her arms. He paled, “Is something wrong with Alexis?”

   “Shhhhh. . . keep your voice down. I almost got him to sleep,” Beckett hissed gently rocking her grandson in her arms. “Lex is fine. Just a little overwhelmed.”

  Jeremy dragged a hand through his hair with a sigh, “You scared me for a moment,” he shrugged out of his coat and unbuttoned his uniform top until he was down to his undershirt, so none of the stuff pinned to it would bother Kaden. “I’ll take him.”

   “You look like you’re, about to fall flat on your face.”

   “I had to stay late to close a case. Might help with me getting a gold shield,” Jeremy leaned against the couch, “It’s not worth leaving Alexis to deal with Kaden all on her own.”

   “You guys will find a balance. So go get some sleep, I’ll get him back to sleep and be on my way,” Beckett insisted.

   Jeremy kissed her cheek and then his son’s small head, “I don’t know what we would do without you, Kate.”

   “Good thing you don’t have to worry about finding out for some time.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   Beckett slid into bed just shy of three in the morning stirring her husband out of his light slumber. She kissed him, “Go back to sleep, baby. Everything is fine.”

   “Hmm...” Castle rolled over to take his wife in his arms, “You’re an amazing woman, you know that Kate Beckett.”

   “So people keep telling me,” She grinned with another kiss, “Alexis was a bit overwhelmed that’s it. I think getting some uninterrupted sleep helped.”

   “Maybe I’ll stop by tomorrow and see if I can help out for an hour or two.”

   “She would appreciate that,” Beckett snuggled against her husband until her back was flush with his front side. She figured he would fall right back to sleep, but judging by his body’s reaction to her movements they wouldn’t be going to sleep anytime soon. With a happy sigh, Beckett rolled until she was straddling her husband’s lap. “Not tired?”

   “Nope,” Castle grinned peeling her shirt away, “I hear sex is a great sedative.”

   “Well, guess we are going to find out.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   Still humming from the pleasure of their lovemaking, Beckett began to slip into a dreamless sleep when her cell phone shrieked on the nightstand next to her. She pulled it to her ear, “Hello.”

   Castle stirred awake again, at the sound of his wife’s voice, “What is it?” Could Alexis be calling again panicking? He hoped not, as they had just gotten to bed because of Nate being upset that Daniel wasn’t at school before she called earlier that night.

   Beckett held up a hand to silence him, “Patch it through, and continue to trace the call.” She went silent again struggling to hear on the other line. “Daniel?”

   Castle shot up like a bullet in bed, “Kate?”

   “Daniel, it’s okay,” She soothed moving off the bed in search for her clothes that had been discarded on the floor during their lovemaking.  “It’s safe to talk to me.”

   Castle followed his wife’s lead and began to dress while she coaxed Daniel to talk. He handed her a shirt and a pair of socks having already provided the jeans. After that, all he could do was sit on the bed and watch her pace the room. It was clear now by the way she chewed on her bottom lip that Daniel was now talking. He wished he could hear what the boy was saying, though he knew it was bad since the call was coming in after three o’clock in the morning. The writer knew for sure that their concern for the boy hadn’t been without merit.

   “Are you safe where you are?” Beckett asked sitting next to her husband on the bed. “Don’t move, okay. Rick and I are going to come and get you. No, don’t move.  We’re coming to you,” She hung up the phone before the boy could argue further. She looked at Castle through the dim light, “Wake your mother and then let’s go.”

  


	5. 3 AM Hunt

   Twenty or so minutes later, Beckett cut off her gumball when they got within a few blocks of Daniel’s last location. She wondered what he was doing all the way out here. Jack had a brownstone about five maybe six miles north of this run down part of town. Beckett found the pay phone and of course the glass lit box was empty. “I told him to stay put,” She muttered scanning the dark street for any sign of life.

   Castle was doing the same, “The phone booth is too obvious. Pull over,” Castle pointed to a spot near a bunch of worn down apartment buildings. This part of town was filled with low-income housing, drug dealers, and mostly abandoned buildings. The crime rate here was through the roof making Castle want to find the boy as quickly as possible. “Flashlights.”

   Beckett opened the glove box to fish out two small flashlights. Too much light would gather too much attention. Whoever hurt Daniel; which Beckett had a good guess what that was, would most likely be trying to track the boy down. “Take one side of the street, I’ll take the other.”

   Castle paused halfway out of the car and looked back at her, “Split up?”

   Her brow furrowed, “We can cover more ground that way. Daniel is scared and won’t stay in one place too long.”

   “Is that the safest way?”

   “What could possibly happen?” Beckett wished the words back the moment they passed her lips. A darkened alley wasn’t particularly kind to them over the years. “Two-way.”

   Castle pulled the two small radios from the glove box and tossed one to his wife. “Be careful.”

   “I try,” Beckett jogged across the street to the alley that was closest to the phone booth. Her eyes tracked back and forth, looking for danger, signs of life, or disturbed objects; anything really to pick up a trail. Had they taken too long? The question caused a sour taste to appear in the back of her throat. Not finding Daniel was not an option.

   “Anything?” Castle’s voice crackled through her two-way in her hand.

   Beckett held it closer to her mouth, “Nothing. You?”

   There was a pause and an answer came through, “Scared by a couple of giant rats, but nothing.”

   Beckett clipped the radio to her belt, adjusted her flashlight to her dominant hand, and took off down the second alley from the phone booth. The ground was damp from the evening showers, grimy and trashy from neglected trash cans. Rats and God knew what other creatures skittered through the beam of the flashlight. “Daniel?” Beckett softly called out for the boy. Shinning her flashlight, she looked for any open windows or doors. Most of them were boarded up tight and the windows were too high for Daniel to reach. Just as she was about to give up on the alley, the beam of light caught a boarded-up the door at the end with a small gap that was just big enough for a boy to slip through.

   “Castle,” She spoke into the radio after she unclipped it from her belt. It felt so normal sliding back into cop and writer roles even after such a long time. “I think I might have found something.”

   “Good, because all I’ve found are things that make me want to take a hot shower,” Castle muttered. “Where are you?”

   Once she relayed her position, Beckett worked the piece of plywood from the door to take way through for her size. It wasn’t easy, leading Beckett to wonder how the hell Daniel managed to pull the board away far enough. A few splinters, scrapes, and torn sleeve later, Beckett managed to slip through. “Daniel,” She took the flashlight from her clenched teeth and swept the beam of light across the room that hadn’t seen the light of day judging by the amount of dust and grime on the floor. The only good that came out of it was that it was great for prints. Beckett followed the set of small footsteps across the empty room that led to a set of stairs that was at a junction into two hallways. 

   Glancing down both hallways and finding them both blocked off, she stared up the stairs that creaked too much for her liking under her weight.  The cop felt the wood about to give on around the third from the top stair causing her to jump to the landing just in case. “Daniel, it’s Kate,” She called out using her flashlight to seek out more footsteps. How scared must the boy have been to make such a long trek into a dark and abandoned building? Beckett had to keep her mind from wondering about what kind of state the seven-year-old would be in or just how he got in this position in the first place. The small footsteps lead the Lieutenant further away from the stairs and down a twisting hallway. The wood floors creaked and moaned under each step she took. Beckett checked doors as she went and most didn’t budge. A few of the rooms were squatter camps and she just waved to them as she left them alone.

   Where the hell was he? There weren’t many places left to hide. Had he come here only to get spooked and leave? “Daniel?” Beckett lifted up her beam of light and strained to hear any faint noises. “Come on sweetie, it’s Kate. You’re safe, I promise,” A large creaking sound had Beckett’s attention going to the end of the hall. The wall had a hole about the size of a TV and lead to another hallway if a person was small enough. Sighing, Beckett unclipped her radio and started to turn back towards the stairs when the beam of her light fell in a small mass tucked in between the two pieces of drywall. “Good God! Daniel.”

   The mass stirred a little.

   “I found him,” Beckett relayed her position to her husband and began to knock away the flimsy drywall to make a larger opening for her. The noise barely caused Daniel to move making Beckett start to panic about his condition. Panting, Beckett reached through the hole and gently pulled away the plaid blanket he was wrapped in. She momentarily wondered where he acquired the blanket before focusing her attention on the seven-year-old. Daniel was curled in a fetal position underneath with a bruised and bloody face. She sucked in a breath, “Come on, come on,” She chanted those two words while searching for a pulse.

   The skin to skin contact brought Daniel around and came up swinging. “Don’t touch me! Leave me alone!”

   “Daniel, it’s Kate,” She tried to dodge his blow which was hard in her current position. “You’re safe, I promise. Calm down, baby.”

   Eventually, the words sank in and Daniel calmed down enough to turn his head to look at her. “Leu-ten-ant Castle?”

  “Yes, sweetie. You called remember?”

   He ran a hand against his bloody temple. “I do.”

   “How bad are you hurt?”

   “I dunno.”

   “Kate,” Castle was slightly out of breath by the time he reached her.

   “He’s hurt, call an ambulance.”

   “No!” Daniel coiled away from her touch and retreated further in the hole. “No ambulance or hospitals! He’ll find me there.”

   Castle angled his head in the hole to look at the boy, “Who will find you?”

   “My dad,” Daniel whispered almost as if he was afraid that Jack would somehow hear. “Please don’t let him find me.”

   “He won’t,” Beckett vowed and would do anything to uphold it. “We won’t let him anywhere near you. Now, can you get yourself out of there so we can take you home?”

   Daniel hesitated, “safe?”

   “Yes,” Castle assured switching positions with his wife so he could lift the boy out of his hiding spot with ease. Knots of disgust formed in his stomach at the blood, grime, and who knows what else that stained the boy’s shirt. He slipped his arms under the boy and lifted him, causing Daniel to whimper in pain. “I’m sorry buddy.”

   Daniel latched on to the writer’s shirt, “S’okay.”

   Beckett shrugged out of her coat to wrap it gently around the seven-year-old. “I’m going to call Lanie to meet us at the loft.”

   “Do it in the car.” Castle started down the hallway, “Who knows, Jack might spot the car and come looking.”

   Once on the street, Beckett slid into the back seat so Castle could lay Daniel gently down on the seat so his head was on the cop’s lap. Castle looked at her, “You got him?”

   “Yes,” Beckett tucked her coat tighter around the beaten boy while Castle jogged to the driver’s side. She wanted to sooth, but she didn’t know how without hurting him. “Rest sweetie. You’re safe now.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o

   Beckett unlocked the door and opened it so her husband could carry in the sleeping Daniel into the loft. Both Martha and Lanie stood ready to start speaking. Beckett shot them down. “Not yet,” She secured the door behind them. “In the bedroom, in Case Nate or Bree comes down here.”

   Martha turned her to her daughter-in-law, after the very pregnant Lanie followed her son towards the office, “What happened?”

   Beckett ran a hand over her frazzled hair, “From what I got out of him, was that his father beat him.”

   Martha let out a gasp of horror, “How awful! Why didn’t you call the cops or take the poor boy to the hospital?”

   “He asked me not to and in all honesty, I don’t blame him. Plus if I saw the bastard right now I would kill him,” Beckett seethed, “That’s why I asked Lanie to come here instead of Alexis. She can take what she needs for evidence and Espo can take Daniel’s statement. Where is he?”

   “Nate woke up and he went up to put him back to bed about ten minutes ago.” Martha explained, “Is there anything I can do?”

   “Maybe make some coffee or tea.”

   “On it.”

   Beckett kissed Martha’s cheek, “Thank you, Martha.” By the time she made it to the bedroom, Daniel was up, and fighting Lanie and her help.

   Castle shot her a look for help since the boy was now huddled in the small space between the dresser and the wall “Daniel, it’s okay. Lanie is a friend.”

   “No doctors,” Daniel trembled, “He will find me.”

   The writer shook his head against the words, “That’s only at the hospital. Lanie is just going to patch you up and take some pictures.”

   Daniel swiped at his teary cheek, “Why pictures?”

   Beckett knelt down beside her husband,  hoping to help coax Daniel from his hiding position, “Because we need them as evidence.”

   “Evi-dese?”

   “Remember when I told your class that I investigate crimes.” Beckett waited for a nod, “Well, in order to catch the bad guy we need to collect evidence of the crime. Sometimes evidence is an object and other times its people and their injuries. Like yours.”

   Daniel chewed on the nail of his thumb, “Why do you need evi-dese?”

   Castle took a deep breath before tackling the question, “You know what your father did is wrong, right?” Like his wife had before, Castle waited for a nod before continuing, “Well, Kate wants to make sure he pays for hurting you. To do that Miss Lanie needs to collect evidence and Kate needs to take a statement.”

   “You’ll protect me?” Daniel asked looking between the two Castles.

   “With our lives,” Castle vowed offering Daniel a hand. “Let’s get you up so Miss Lanie can look at you.”

   Lanie shifted the best she could with her swollen stomach so she was kneeling in front of the bed. With a smile, she looked to Daniel, “I’m Lanie.”

   “Daniel,” the seven-year-old sniffled.

   Lanie opened her medical bag, “I’m going to start by cleaning the blood from your face so I can see where you are hurt. Okay?”

   “Okay.”

   Bye the time his wife was done patching up the injured boy, Esposito was shaking with suppressed rage for Jack Carter.  He thought of his son and couldn’t even imagine being able to hurt him. In fact, he would gladly sell his soul to keep Trey safe from harm. It’s what was a father should do. Not this. Sighing, Esposito forced himself to uncurl his hands. Now that the blood was mopped up from Daniel’s face, Esposito could see a long gash along the corner of Daniel’s forehead, accompanied by a small one below his left eye. It was nearly swollen shut while his lip wasn’t in any better condition. There was some deep bruising along the right side of his small face, as well as both ribs and chest. Several of them were in the shape of large handprints. Even more disturbing than that, well at least in Esposito’s mind, was the scars that branded the boy’s thin body.

   Sensing her husband’s anger, Lanie stood to place a hand on his arm. “Be gentle and patient.”

   Esposito nodded, “Are you finished?”

   “With what I can do for now,” Lanie replied glancing at Beckett who was talking to the boy. “I’m going to get some ice.”

   “And get off your feet for a bit.” Esposito placed a hand on her swollen stomach, “For me.”

   “Okay.”

   “Who has Trey?” Beckett asked upon Esposito’s approach.

   “Our neighbor next door. We explained the situation and she was more than happy to watch him.”

   “I’ll leave you two alone,” Beckett stood along with Castle to follow Lanie only to stop when Daniel clasped her arm with his good hand. She looked down, “What is it?”

   “Do you have to go?” Daniel softly asked looking between the two adults.

   “No,” Beckett sat back to ease the worry in his tired eyes. “Detective Esposito is going to ask you about what happened.”

   He tilted his head at the male detective, “More evi-dense?”

   “Yes,” Esposito decided the safest place to sit was on the ground in front of the pair. He pulled out his notepad, “At any time you need to stop you do it. Okay?”

   Daniel nodded.

   It took nearly an hour to get the entire story from the seven-year-old. Apparently, Daniel came home from school going on about how cool it was over at the loft and how awesome it was to finally have a friend. What really set Jack, according to Daniel, was when he mentioned his mother and how Beckett reminded him of her.

   Beckett had to bite into her bottom lip to keep herself from cursing as Daniel started to describe the beating. He used his closed fists, a leather belt with a large buckle, and steel-toed work boots. This was her fault then. She had been the one to suggest having the boy over because it would lift Nate up. Nearing the point of getting sick, Beckett rubbed a hand over her face. Lanie had documented six bruised ribs with a possible broken one, a concussion, most likely permeant damage to his left eye, deep gashes along his lower back side that consistency of the use of a belt and buckle. There was so much bruising all over his body that it made Beckett want to weep. No doubt that Jack had broken his son’s wrist and was in dire need of being splinted. Only Daniel wouldn’t budge about his stand on going to the hospital.

   When Daniel could no longer speak of the tremors, he looked at Esposito. “Is that enough evi-dense?”

   Esposito smiled, “It sure is.”

   Castle touched a gentle hand to Daniel’s shoulder, “You did good, buddy.”

   Daniel’s eyes drooped, “I’m really tired.”

   “Why don’t you lie down,” Beckett suggested.

   Daniel looked around wide eyed, “Here?”

   “Of course,” there was a little humor dancing in the Lieutenant’s voice. “I think a nice comfy bed will help with the pain.”

   Sadly, pain was something that Daniel was used to. He ran his hand over the soft comforter, “I’ve never slept in a bed.”

   Castle looked at him in curiosity, “Where do you sleep at home?”

   Daniel looked away, “He makes me sleep in the basement on the floor. If I’m good sometimes he will give me a blanket.”

   Because he didn’t know how to deal with the amount of rage inside him, Castle pushed to his feet to retrieve a shirt from the dresser. The shirt swallowed the boy, but Daniel looked beyond grateful for it. “Now let’s get you in the bed.”

    Beckett was already pulling down the comforter, “Come on, sweetie.”

   Daniel crawled up the bed until his head was resting on the large pillow, “Thank you.”

   Beckett covered him with a gentle smile on her face, “You have nothing to fear while you are with us. Your father won’t get anywhere near you.” Beckett bent to place a kiss to Daniel’s temple. “Soon you won’t have to worry about him at all.”

   Daniel frowned at the statement, “Mommy said that to me, and then she disappeared.”

   Castle turned down the light, “Sleep. We will be outside if you need us.”

   “How is he?” Martha asked upon the couple joining the group gathered around the kitchen counter.

   Beckett sat on a long sigh, “Asleep or trying to.”

   Lanie placed a reassuring hand over her friend’s, “What’s going to happen now?”

   “Beckett and I will go to the Cap and get the ball rolling. We will have to find a judge on a Saturday to sign an arrest warrant and hopefully the bastard will spend the weekend in jail before he can get to arraignment,” Esposito explained checking his watch. It was nearly five now. They wouldn’t earn any points waking their boss this early on her day off.

   Beckett didn’t seem to think the same, “Will you be able to handle explaining this to Nate?” She asked looking to her husband.

   He brushed his knuckles down her tired face, “Go.”

   Esposito looked to his wife for permission, and one look at her he knew that she had given it.

   “I’ll call to check in on how Trey is doing and stay and help if needed.”

   “Explain what to me?” Nate’s voice trailed down from the landing of the stairs. The seven-year-old was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

   Castle walked up the stairs and gathered him up into his arms, “Come on buddy.”

   Nate looked over his father’s shoulder, “Where are Mom and Uncle Javi going?”

   Castle sat Nate on the edge of his bed and sat down silently next to him. He needed a moment or so to find the words. This was a conversation he never imagined having to experience with any of his children. “Something happened tonight.”

   Nate pushed to his knees, his face full of fear, “Was Uncle Kevin hurt?” It was the only connection his young mind could make with only one uncle here and not the other.

   “No, no.” Castle assured, “It has something to do with Daniel.”

   This time Nate’s face paled and his voice squeaked as he spoke, “What happened and how bad?”

   Castle blinked, “You knew?”

   Now he looked ashamed and about to cry. “Daniel told me last week and he swore me not to tell. I know it was wrong and I should have told you or mom, but you guys always taught me to honor a promise,” Nate swiped at his tears, “No matter what. I really wanted to tell, Dad, I swear. That’s why I’ve been so down because I didn’t know what to do.”

   “Why did Daniel ask you not to tell anyone?” The writer wasn’t sure if he was proud of his son for standing by his word or disappointed for him lying when asked what was wrong.

   “Daniel told me that the last time he tried to ask for help something terrible happened. I didn’t want that to happen again.”

   “How did you find out?”

   “He lied to Ms. Shane,” Nate explained to his father’s confusion, “She saw a bruise on Daniel’s arms because he had taken off his sweater and he lied about it. He told her that he fell at recess, but he didn’t. We sat off on the picnic table the entire time. I’m sorry Dad, for lying to you and Mom.”

   Castle stroked a hand over his hair, “It’s okay, Nathan.”

   “Is he okay?”

   “He called 911 and asked dispatch for your mother by giving them her badge number. We found him hiding in an abandoned building several miles from his home. He’s in pretty bad shape.”

   “Where is he?”

   “Sleeping downstairs.”

   “Can I see him?”

   “He’s hurt bad, Nate, so be prepared.”

   Nate opened the door to his parent’s bedroom as quietly as possible. He couldn’t help but gasp at his friend’s discolored and swollen face through the dim light. “Did Aunt Lanie patch him up?”

   “She did.”

   “Can I sleep in here?” Nate asked, “In case he wakes up, so he knows he’s safe?”

   “Of course,” Castle helped him climb into bed without disturbing Daniel too much. The writer waited a moment before leaving and cracking the door behind him.

  

  


	6. 6 AM Arrest

   “You sure you want to do this now?” Esposito asked as they started up the walk leading to Gate’s house.

   “You saw him Espo.” Beckett stepped on to the porch and gave the door a brisk knock. She looked around the rather large porch and wondered briefly how she and Castle would decorate their porch. “We’re thinking of getting a house.”

   Esposito turned to look at her, “Really?”

   Beckett shrugged a bit, “the loft is becoming crowded and Rick always wanted a house with a nice big back yard. We’re thinking about getting a dog too.” She saw her partner struggling not to smile. “What?”

   “Never figured you for a white picket fence kind of person.”

   She rested her palm against the weapon on her hip. “That a problem?”

   “No,” Esposito quickly answered. “It’s just nice to see that hard as nails detective who wanted nothing to do with nobody has softened into this.”

   “Not sure if I should be flattered or offended.”

   Thankfully the door opened so Esposito didn’t have to answer her.  The look on their boss’s face made Esposito want to face Beckett’s wrath over Gate’s. He felt no shame what so ever when he inched his way behind the lieutenant so she took the blunt of the heat.

   Taking in her two officers, Gates tugged her robe tighter around her, “This must be a dream because why else would two of my people for being on my doorstep this early in the morning. Let alone a Saturday.”

   This seemed liked déjà vu to Beckett. Nearly ten years ago she stood in this exact spot distributing her boss’s Saturday seeking a warrant for Grey Greenstone. God that felt like a lifetime ago. “I know it’s early, sir, but this couldn’t wait.”

   Gates straightened up with a worried expression, “what’s wrong?”

   Beckett was grateful for the instant support from the captain and handed over the tablet after a few quick swipes. She waited for a moment for Gates to go through a few of the pictures of Daniel’s injuries. “This was the person who called 911 after my appearance at the school. His name is Daniel Carter.”

   Gate’s face was grim as she looked up from the tablet, “who did this to the poor boy?”

   “His father.” Esposito filled in with just as much heat behind his voice as Gate’s.

   “He called my house around three in the morning asking for my help.” Beckett went on to explain how she and Castle went to seek out the boy and where they found him. She didn’t have to explain the extent of his injuries as the pictures were doing a good job of that. If it was possible Beckett saw Gate’s eyes turn red with anger. “He begged me not to take him to the hospital.”

   Gates raised a brow, “and you listened to him.”

   “His father is a cop,” Esposito spat the words out, “he had Daniel convinced that he would find him if he ever went to the police.”

   “He’s a cop?” Gates’ voice grew louder with anger. “Just how long has this been going on?”

   “But the scars for a very long time. I even suspect that he had something to do with his wife’s murder.” Beckett could feel it in her gut. She made a mental note to pull the file on it when they got back to the station. “They never found the body, but according to the newspaper there had been so much blood at the crime scene that there was no way anyone could have survived.”

   Gates handed back the tablet to the lieutenant, “where is he now.”

   “With Rick at the loft.”

   “Okay,” Gates led them inside, “I will see what judge I can find to wake up and you two need to get a hold of child services so we can get Daniel placed-.”

   “No.” Beckett all but barked.

   Gates turned around with a look that usually made people back down. It had no effect on Beckett who was standing tall and ready to fight. “Excuse me?”

   “He’s staying with us.” Beckett wasn’t sure why she was so protective of the boy. Protocol stated that they handed Daniel over to children services, but she couldn’t do it. Since the first time she saw the shaggy blonde haired boy, Beckett had this need to protect and love him. “He feels safe there and already confided in Nate.”

   Esposito jumped in to help defend her case, “Plus the building has a doorman and there is no safer place for him than a house where one of New York’s finest lives.”

   “I promised I would keep him safe,” Beckett pushed a stray hair off her face, “and as Nate said ‘a Castle keeps their promises’.”

   Gates resolved softened at the mention of her honorary grandson, “Okay.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Castle paused outside the door upon hearing two hushed voice coming from the other side. He slowly neared it, trying to be silent as he could, so he didn’t interrupt the conversation. Peeking through the crack, Castle saw both bows huddled together, heads bowed, and speaking so low that Castle had to strain to hear what they were saying.

   “I’m sorry Danny.” Nate apologized for maybe the hundredth time. Every time he looked at his friends discolored and swollen face he was stuck by unfathomed guilt and anger. Anger at himself and towards Daniel’s father. “I should have told my parents sooner about this.”

   “I’m not mad at you Nathan,” Daniel tilted his head so he could get a better look at Nate with his good eye since his other was still swollen shut. “I asked you not to say anything and you did because you’re my friend.”

   “As your friend, I should have said something to make sure something like this didn’t happen.”

   Daniel shrugged and started picking at the end of the oversized shirt. “It would have been much worse if you did. I told a teacher once when I was in kindergarten and when he found out he got so mad. He didn’t beat me at first because a social worker needed to clear the accusations. After that, he beat me so bad that I should have been in the hospital.” He swallowed hard at the memory, “I would have died if mommy didn’t take care of me.”

   Nate shook his head in disgust, “how long has this been going on?”

   Daniel thought for a long moment, “I dunno. It’s just always been like this. He’s got a bad temper and took it out on us.”

   Nate knew that ‘us’ meant him and his mother. He decided to turn the conversation in a different direction. “How did you get away? Dad said you were far from your home.”

   The injured boy shifted in hope to relieve some of the sharp pain in his ribs. “I snuck out through the basement window. A homeless lady was pushing her cart just down the street and I begged her to help me. She put me in her basket and covered me in a blanket. I heard dad shouting for me down the street and the lady pushed her cart into a small alley and faked sleeping until dad passed.” He took a breath, “I begged her not to call the cops because I knew they would take my dad’s word over mine, him being a cop and all.”

   Nate hated that his friend had such a fear. Cops were supposed to protect the innocent and catch the monsters. Like his mother and uncles did. 

   “We kept moving and hiding every time a car passed just in case it was him. When she was sure that he wasn’t following us or come looking for us, she took me to a phone booth.” His hands shook as he remembered trying to gather the courage to dial 911. “I didn’t know who else to call but your mom.”

   A small smile crossed the brown-haired boy’s face, “you knew she would come. If I had only told her earlier you wouldn’t be hurting the way you are now.” It was very painful to look at his friend’s battered face.  Nate swallowed the lump of guilt in his throat, “how did you sneak away?”

   “By the window of the basement. HE kept me down there so long at times, that I was able to get the nails loose.”

   “Basement?”

   Daniel looked down, “that’s where he put me when he didn’t want to deal with me.”

   That struck a nerve in Nate, “deal with you? You’re his son.”

   “I don’t think he ever wanted me,” Daniel confessed. “Ever since I can remember he’s been so angry at me for no reason. The beatings at first for when I did something wrong like spill a drink then it was for no reason at all. It’s been worse since mommy died.”

   “Worse?” How much worse could it have gotten?

   “The basement was where I slept with no bed or blanket. Even in the winter when the concrete was so cold.” Daniel shivered at the memory. “On the weekends he would leave me down there without food or water. He only gave me those if something good happens to his day. A week was the longest I went without food and I think he only gave me water so I wouldn’t die.”

   Castle could see that his son was struggling to keep a hold on his rage. Losing his grip on his own, Castle knocked before pushing the door open to poke his head in. “Morning,” HE cheerfully greeted pulling the two boys from their conversation. “How are you feeling Daniel?”

   “Okay, I guess,” Daniel replied.

   “Breakfast is cooking and there are some clothes for you Daniel in the office. Come join us when you two are ready.” With that Castle shut the door behind him.

   Nate watched his friend hesitate before shifting painfully off the bed, “we can eat in here if you want.”

   Daniel considered the option for a moment before asking a single question, “It’s safe here, right?”

   “The safest place in the world,” Nate assured climbing down himself to get the clothes for Daniel.

   After getting dressed with Daniel’s help, he shuffled out of the door behind his friend and into the living room. He fought the urge to hide. He recognized Castle and Brianna, who was sitting on the couch, he didn’t know was the older redhead in the kitchen making his stomach knot with nerves.

   Sensing his discomfort, Nate dropped back to place a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. So together they joined his father and sister by sitting on the loveseat.

   Brianna wiggled off her perch on her father’s lap, “Danny has owies?” Her blue eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and sorrow. “Your mommy kiss make better?”

   Castle knelt down beside the children, “Daniel’s mommy went to heaven.” He softly explained in terms her two-year-old mind would comprehend.

   Brianna tilted her head in her father’s direction, “Can mommy kiss make better?”

   “Maybe once she gets home,” Castle replied.

   “I kiss owies?” Brianna softly asked looking at Daniel.

   “Sure,” Daniel painfully knelt down to meet Brianna at her level. His heart was overwhelmed with emotions when the two-year-old stood on her toes and pressed a kiss just below his swollen eye.  Never in his life had he been shown so much compassion. They weren’t even family. The entire Castle Family didn’t see him as a piece of dirt or an inconvenience that needed to be beaten into submission like a dog. The people in this room, even the young Brianna, cared so much about his well being. It wasn’t out of pity or obligation. They just were good people with big hearts.

   ‘All better?” Brianna asked tilting her head back to look at him.

   Despite that his face was throbbing in excruciating pain, Daniel gave her a beaming smile. “All better.”

   “Good.” After giving him a quick hug, Brianna happily skipped to the kitchen.

   Castle couldn’t but smile after his daughter, “you guys hungry?”

   Daniel’s stomach growled at the mention of food. He couldn’t’ remember the last time he even ate.

   “French toast?” Nate asked gently pulling his friend along after his sister.

   “Of course,” Martha assured already hard at work making her grandson’s favorite breakfast food.

   Brianna stood as tall as she could to whisper into her brother’s ear, “Grams burnt a lot.”

   “Heard that.”

   Snickering, She climbed into her regular seat at the dinner table and patted the chair beside her, “Danny sit?”

   Daniel happily obliged with Nate sitting next to him. The smell of cinnamon and sizzling bacon made his mouth physically water. The only time he really ate was at school or what Nate gave him out of his homemade lunch. That’s why he always wore baggy clothes so no one could tell that he was just skin and bones.

   “So Daniel,” Castle sat across from the two boys. None of the swelling around Daniel’s eyes had decreased at all.

  “Yes, Mr. Castle?”

   “Call me Rick.” Castle softly corrected, “Today I have to take you to the doctors.”

   If it was possible the color from Daniel’s face drained of color even more. “You promised no hospitals.”

   “Not the hospital. To the doctor’s office. My other daughter, Alexis, is going to look at you.”

   “Ms. Lanie already did that.”

   “But they’re other treatments you need. Lanie thinks your wrist may be broken along with some of your ribs and your cheekbone.” Castle gently placed a finger under the boy’s chin to lift his gaze. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

   Daniel wasn’t convinced, “he’ll find me. He’s a cop with ways to find me.”

   “Kate and Javier are arresting him as we speak. He will be locked up, hopefully, until the trail.” Castle watched Daniel’s shoulder sag as if being released of a heavy burden. There was still a bit of skepticism in his glass color eye, “let’s eat first then we will talk about the doctors.”

   Daniel’s eye nearly popped out of his head when Martha laid a plate full of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and French toast in front of him. Never in his life had he been offered so much food. He didn’t know where to start.

   Martha frowned as they boy hesitantly for the fork next to his plate. Daniel even looked over his shoulder, her guess, to make sure that his father wasn’t creeping up behind him. Did Jack even let the boy eat? Even as the question popped in her head, Martha knew the answer since Daniel was no bigger than a twig. “Eat up.” She encouraged, “We have plenty more for seconds as well.”

   “Start with the French toast.” Nate was already demolishing his. A bit of syrup dribbled down his chin, “it’s the best food in the world.”

   Daniel cut off a small piece of the bread and gingerly put it in his mouth. He braced himself for a sour or disgusting taste. The only food he would get at him was usually whatever had expired or started to grow mold. Instead, it was sweet and full of flavor, “this is good.”

   Brianna let out a giggle when Daniel attached his breakfast with great enthusiasm. Castle did the opposite. He frowned at the way the boy scarfed down his food. He shifted his gaze to his mother to finer her concerned as well. “Daniel when was the last time you ate?”

   Startled by the question, Daniel’s head popped up with a scrunched brow, “umm.” He used the back of his hand to wipe the syrup away from his mouth. “The snacks that Le-ten-ant Castle made me.”

   That was nearly two days ago. It made Castle sick knowing he would have gone even longer without food if Daniel hasn’t escaped. “Take it slow.” Castle advised. “or you’re going to make yourself sick.”

   “Hello!”

   “Lexi!” Brianna jumped out of her chair and took off towards the front door.

   Nate had to stop his friend from crawling under the table. “It’s okay Danny. It’s my big sister Alexis. She’s not going to hurt you.”

   Alexis tried not to gasp when stepping into the dining room with her sister attached to her back. The only part visible of Daniel, who was half under the table, was his eye that was swollen shut.  “Good morning.” The younger red head set her sister on her feet, “smells good in here.”

   “Grams made breakfast.” Brianna stated, “And that’s Danny. He is Nate’s friend.” The two-year-old looked up with a curious expression, “Lexi fix his owies?”

   “Maybe. Hello Danny.” Alexis greeted him with a warm and cheerful smile.

   Daniel slowly climbed back into his chair after a reassuring nod from Nate. “Hi.”

   “My name is Alexis.”

   “Danny.”

   “You guys eat,” Castle instructed before moving into the kitchen with his eldest daughter. He could see the angry brewing on her face, “I know.”

   “Please tell me Kate arrested the bastard.”

   “She got an arrest warrant.”

   “That poor boy.”

   “What you see is only the half of it.” Castle leaned against the counter with a heavy sigh, “I overheard Daniel talking to Nate this morning about the abuse.”

   “Bad?”

  

  

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   Beckett walked through the twentieth precinct armed with an arrest warrant and with Esposito at her side for backup. Things could get dicey any second. By now word would have gotten around to IAB and in turn to Jack’s captain. Beckett was not expecting a warm welcome. Cops always stood by one another. it was part of the brotherhood code.

   “You ready for this?” Esposito asked just as the stepped off the elevator into the very active bullpen.

   Beckett lifted her gaze to scan the faces. Jack was nowhere in sight. By the looks coming her way, Beckett knew that new of the warrant had been heard. She found no pleasure in arresting another cop and maybe if circumstances were different she might even feel guilty. But no amount of loyalty to the shield would make Beckett look away when one of her own broke the law. “Yes.”

   Not three steps in and their path was blocked by a small wall of blue. One of the younger officers with thick-rimmed glasses stared at her with a set jaw. Esposito positioned himself between him and his partner. “We don’t want trouble.”

   “You’re arresting one of ours,” The man stated, “that’s trouble enough.”

   “Jack Carter is a good cop.” One of the other three said with a southern draw in his voice. “A good man.”

   “A good man.” Beckett echoed standing toe to toe with the man who was at least two inches taller than she was. A smile touched her face when the younger man cowered back a step, “if you knew what this-.” She held up the warrant, “was for you wouldn’t be saying that Jack Carter is a good man.”

   “Sanders. Kirk. Porter.” A voice barked out behind them causing the three men to part to look back at their captain. The balding man pointed in their direction, “let them through and get back to work.”

   Beckett crossed the bullpen with her head held high even as the whispers began. “Captain Wilbur-…”

   “You got some balls, lady.” Warren slammed the door behind the two officers with enough force that the glass rattled. “Come here with a warrant to arrest one of my own.”

   “Where is he?” Beckett demanded.

   The older man rounded his desk, “do you think I’m just going to hand him over to you?”

   “We do have an arrest warrant.” Esposito reminded, “so you don’t have much of a choice.”

   “IAB should be here, not you two. Has Iron Gates stuck her claws in you to start seeing crooked cops around every corner?”

   Beckett’s spine stiffened and jumped to defend her captain. “She’s a good cop, unlike the man you’re trying to defend. She protects her own and those that can’t protect themselves.” She shot to her feet, her hands working fast on the tablet, and leaned over the desk so their faces were inches apart. The lieutenant all but shoved the tablet straight into the man’s nose. “Does a good cop do this to their child? Does a loving father beat their child that he had a broken wrist, possible cheekbones, and might not be able to see out of one eye? Look at me and tell me that is the markings of a good man.”

   The captain staggered back a step. His eyes soaked up every inch of Daniel’s battered and discolored face. Looking at it made him sick. It all made sense now. Jack solemnly spoke about his son. The man was always so detached, especially when it came to connecting to victims. Jack also had a short fuse and had a few dings on his record for the times he couldn’t control it. Warren just assumed it was bent up emotions for losing his wife in such a tragic way. “Jesus Christ.” He took the tablet in his trembling hands, “where is he now?”

   “Somewhere safe.” Beckett didn’t want to disclose the boy’s location in case he let it slip and it got back to Jack. “I found him several miles from his house at three in the morning. That’s how much Daniel feared his father.”

   Unable to look at Daniel’s face any longer, Warren set the tablet face down on his cluttered desk.  “He’s about back about to go on patrol. I’m going with you to make sure he doesn’t give you any trouble.” Warren took a deep breath, “you will not get any interference from me or my men.”

   Esposito nodded his thanks and opened the door so they could file out in the bullpen. The room froze and turned to look at them with stern expressions.  He glanced at the captain, “explain it to them so we don’t feel their guns at our back.”

   Warren worked his tie looser as it felt like the damn thing was strangling him. “No one is to give these two officers any problem.”

   A uniformed took a step forward and spoke, “you’re going to let them arrest one of your men, Cap?”

   The older man set his jaw, “Officer Jack Carter has to take reasonability for his actions and these two are here to see that out. If one person gives them any trouble or tries to interfere in any way I will put you on cop in a box duty until your retirement.” Warren held out a hand for the two officers from the 12th to continue their journey through the room.

   It didn’t take Beckett long to seek out Jack in the squad car parking lot. The son of a bitch looked relax and was laughing. The damn man was fucking laughing like he didn’t just beat his son nearly to death just hours ago. Her fingers curled around the arrest warrant so it crumbled until the pressure and took off in Jack’s direction. She caught the moment that Jack caught sight of her. The smile dropped off his face and was replaced with an angry scowl. His hatred for her was clearly etched into hardline forming on his brow. Briefly, she wondered just what he hated so much about her. Was it the fact of her rank? Or that she had more than a few high profile cases? Or maybe it was because he reminded of his wife that wasn’t willing to stand by and watch as he hurt a child.

   Esposito already had his cuff in his hands. As much as he wanted to slap them around Jack’s wrist, he knew that Beckett needed to do it. She had got emotionally involved in Daniel long before him. Plus he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t beat the bastard to a bloody pulp. “Let’s do this.”

   Beckett brushed past Jack’s partner and he would have retaliated if his captain hadn’t taken him firmly by the shoulder. “Jack Carter.”

   “Well if it isn’t Lieutenant Castle,” Jack leaned casually against his patrol car with his hands resting on his police belt. “If we keep meeting like this that husband of yours might think we’re up to something.”

   “Move your hands away from your belt,” Beckett commanded only for him to ignore her.

   Warren cleared his throat, “do as she says, Carter.”

   Jack looked at his boss curiously, “what’s all this, Cap?”

   “You’re going to do everything they say,” Warren instructed, “I gave them my word that you would do this with honor and integrity.”

   A total lie, Beckett mused. The captain that Jack had none of those in him. She knew that he was trying to make this as painlessly as possible for them. “Jack Carter you’re under arrest.” The man’s eyebrows shot into the bangs and she fought the urge to smile as she took the handcuffs from her partner. “For child abuse, child neglect, and child endangerment.

   Jack shoved away from the car, “are you going to let them do this to me?” He asked Warren in disbelief. “You’re going to let this bitch and spic arrest one of your own? Going to take their word for truth?”

   Warren took a moment to calm himself before speaking, “they have a warrant.” He wasn’t going to say that he saw the man’s handy work first handed. Right now he was struggling to remain professional. The fact that one of his men was capable to hurt a child in any way made him sick to his stomach. “So yes I am.”

   “Turn around.” Beckett hissed, “Or I will do it for you.”

   Jack slowly complied.

   Beckett slapped the metal around the man’s wrist harder than necessary, “can’t stand this, can you? A woman taking authority over you?”

   “You’re a bitch on a power trip.”

   Esposito took the man by the shoulder to keep him from spinning around. “You have the right to remain silent so I suggest that you keep your mouth shut if you can manage that. Or not I would love to have some more rope to hand you with.” He shoved him away from the car and towards the station house, “anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

   Beckett heard Esposito finish the cop’s rights as he led him back inside. “Thank you,” she said to the older man beside her. “Will you tell your men?”

   Warren shrugged, “not sure they would believe me anyway. You know how loyal the force is. No, I will let them hear it for themselves when they go to arraignment. I won’t show them the pictures, so no need to worry about that.”

   Beckett appreciated that. Daniel was going to be on display when and if there was a trail. She had no doubt there was going to be a trail. Jack was too proud to take any deal. Thought Beckett wasn’t sure that the DA would even do that after seeing the boy’s injuries. “Thankfully he will spend the weekend in lockup until he can get in front of a judge.”

   “Whatever I can do for you just let me know. I have no room for child abusers in my ranks.”

   Outside the station house, a sea of blue had surrounded the car as Esposito opened the back door. He didn’t take care to bend Jack down when he shoved him inside. Esposito smiled when the officer smacked his head on the top of the car before crumbling inside.  “Sorry about that.”

   Beckett pushed her way through the crowd just as the Hispanic detective slammed the car door. “You good to take him back to the station?”

   “You’re not coming?”

   “Alexis called in a favor to her mentor to find out the true extent of the injuries.” Beckett glanced at Jack. If looks could kill, then she would be dead. “I need to be there.”

   “I got you covered.”


	7. 10 AM Appointment

   The scene that Beckett walked in on when she finally found the room that Daniel was in made her heart fill with such emotions that she was surprised it didn’t burst out of her chest. At that moment, with Daniel grinning with Alexis’s stethoscope in his ears and the chest piece pressed to her son’s forehead, who was hooting with laughter, something happened. Beckett felt a wave of love and the need to do what it takes to make sure the boy stayed right here - where he was loved and happy. Her gaze shifted to her husband in the corner, watching the scene and found that same emotion going through her were going through him.

   Noticing her, Daniel grinned, “Look, Leu-ten-ant Castle. Lexi let me play with her seth… seth…” He cocked his head to the side to look at the smiling redhead for help.

   Alexis ruffled his shaggy blonde hair, “Stethoscope.”

   “Yeah, a seth-a-scope,” Daniel spoke pleased with himself.

   Beckett squeezed her daughter to the point she knocked the wind out of her. “Yeah, she’s a good doctor and even a better mother.”

   Daniel blinked as something crossed his face, “You’re a mommy, Lex?”

   “Yep,” Alexis carefully fished out her phone and showed off her son with pride. That distraught woman who thought that she wasn’t cut out to be a mother was long gone. “His name is Kaden Beckett Dunn.”

   Beckett was amazed. It seemed that even with one eye swollen shut and his face covered with a multitude of different shades of purple that it did not affect his happiness. “Any news yet?”

   Castle shook his head, “So far they did some blood work. They’re waiting for x-rays before they redress his wounds,” He pushed away from the wall, “Think you can keep him busy Nate, while I talk to Mom?”

   A grin flashed across his face, “I’m not the one that gets into trouble. That’s you, Dad.”

   “Smart ass,” Castle grumbled slipping out into the hall with his wife. Once the door was cracked open, he asked, “Did you get him?”

   Beckett shook her head, “Though half of his department wanted to tear me and Espo apart. His captain wasn’t too shocked by the charges. Apparently, he’s got a bit of a temper.”

   “When will he be arraigned?”

   “Monday.  He’ll spend the weekend in holding,” Beckett crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall with a tired sigh, “He’ll most likely get bail, though it will be high.”

   He brushed his fingertips over her cheek to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “You look tired.”

   She cupped his hand with her own and leaned into his gentle touch, “Just a bit.  Gates got Child Services involved.”

   Castle’s brow furrowed just a bit, “What did you say to her?”

   “Told her that he wasn’t going anywhere,” She simply stated, “I just want to keep him safe and I just don’t know if he should be with someone else.”

   “I get it. I know we’ve only known this boy for less than a week but I look at him and all I want to do is just make sure that no harm comes to him. I want to make him happy.” Castle glanced through the crack of the door to see his son doing whatever he could to keep Daniel smiling, despite the boy’s current condition. The emotion he was feeling was love. Plain and simple. He loved Daniel just as fierce as he did Nate and Brianna. He wanted to make the boy his son and was willing to do anything possible to make sure that happened. “I want to make him ours, Kate. I look forward and I can’t see life without him.”

   Beckett wasn’t surprised that his line of thinking was right in line with hers. “We’re really going to do this? Two seven-year-olds under one roof?”

   “When have our lives ever been easy?” Castle asked with his signature charming smile, “I mean we haven’t screwed up too bad as parents.”

   “Nate turned out well, considering he’s got you for a father?” Beckett smirked. “I could only work with what I had after all. But this is a big responsibility, taking in a child that had such a hard life.”

      “We always wanted more children if we were able,” He hated the flash of pain that briefly crossed her face and he scrambled to keep pushing forward, “Adoption was something we talked about. So why not Daniel? He needs a place where he will be safe and loved. The kids already are treating him like a brother.”

   A smile was starting to creep over her face, “What if they don’t like us for him?”

   “Then we will fight it until we have nothing left,” Castle brought her hands to his lips, “Together.”

   “Together.”

   He caught her face and gave her a noisy kiss, “I love you,” He grinned, “I’ll meet you back at the loft, okay?”

   “Don’t get into too much trouble.”

   He tossed her his signature smile over his shoulder as he started down the hall, “You know me.”

   Nate was the one who had the stethoscope in his ears and checking Daniel’s heartbeat when Beckett slipped back into the room. Alexis glanced around her, “Where’d Dad go?”

   “Had to go take care of some things,” Was all Beckett said.

   “All right.” Alexis took back her stethoscope and tossed it around her neck. “I’m going to do a few tests, Daniel. I’m going to check your vision and then we’re going to get you into x-ray.”

   “X-ray?” Daniel asked.

   “It’s a machine that will scan your bones to see if you have broken any,” Alexis carefully cradled the boy’s wrist that was wrapped in an ace bandage. “Like your wrist. If it is, you’re going to need something more than this bandage to help it heal properly.”

   “You’ll have to get a cast,” Nate explained pointing to his own wrist, “I had one before and it’s cool because Germ-y helped me decorate it. He’s a good artist.”

   “Does it hurt?” Daniel softly asked his friend as if he didn’t want the two women to hear his fear.

   Nate shook his head, “Nah. Just itches every now and again.”

   “I’ll let Nate go back with you, how about that?” Alexis suggested collecting the correct instruments to check Daniel’s vision. In her opinion, he had broken his cheekbone due to the amount of swelling of his cheek and eye. “Now this might hurt because the skin is very tender. I’ll try to be as quick as possible.”

   Daniel glanced nervously at Beckett wanting her comfort. Only he was too scared to actually say the words in case Nate would be upset by seeking her out. Beckett crossed the room and sat on the other side of him as if she read his mind. The corner of his mouth lifted in gratitude.

   Since she sat on the side of his injured hand, Beckett started to gently rub the boy’s small back. Nate took his hand and started to chat mindlessly while Alexis approached him. Beckett felt him tense when Alexis gently poked at the swollen skin. Prying open his eye was a near impossible task. After a few failed attempts, Beckett watched Alexis switch to the other eye. Daniel blinked and moved his good eye on command. She hoped that the seven-year-old didn’t suffer too much damage to his sight. Two years later and she still struggled with the blurred vision in day to day life. It would be better if she wore her glasses like she’s supposed to. No matter how much her husband liked them, Beckett couldn’t stand the constant pressure on her face.

   “That’s good.” Alexis set the tool aside, “When the swelling goes down, we will check your other eye.”

   After everything was said and done, Daniel had three bruised ribs, a broken cheekbone and wrist. Alexis was able to put a hard splint on his wrist and told them that in a day or two they would replace it with a hard cast. She also explained that he was going to be sore for a few weeks because most of his bones on his one side had been bruised.

   With the help of Beckett, Daniel slipped his shirt over his head to cover the ace bandage that was wrapped around his midsection. “Thank you, Dr. Dunn.”

   Alexis slipped her hand into her coat pocket, “Call me Alexis, Lex, or Lexis.” She softly corrected handing him a sucker. “Any friend of my brother’s is a friend of mine.”

    “You two wait here for a moment so I can talk to Alexis,” Beckett instructed.

   Alexis smiled at her stepmother and spoke before the lieutenant could say a word, “You’re going to take him in, aren’t you?”

   Beckett arched a brow, “How’d you know?”

   “Jedi mind tricks, remember?” Alexis laughed, “I can see how you and Dad are with him just after a day. The fact that Nate is attached and protective of him shows that he loves him like a brother. He needs a family to love him, and what better one than ours?”

   “You’re okay with it?”

   “Of course.  You both have enough love and attention for all of us. Just tell me that the bastard is behind bars?”

   Beckett shook her head, “Won’t know until Monday. I don’t know how arraignment will go.”

   “How can they let him out after what he did to his son?” Anger flooded the red head’s voice. “Half of his bones are bruised for Christ sakes. The bastard nearly beat him to death.”

   “We will see what Monday brings,” Beckett gently kisses Alexis’s cheek, “Go home and spend the day with your son.”

   “Thank you for your help last night.”

   “Anytime.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   Beckett could tell by the time they made it back to the loft that Daniel was struggling to stay awake. Nate had to wrap his arm around his friend’s waist to keep him upright. She shuffled her takeout food into one arm so she could fish out her keys from her pocket. “How about we take a nap before eating? I don’t know about you two, but I’m tired.”

   “A nap sounds good,” Daniel whispered.

   “Can we build a pillow fort and watch movies tonight?” Nate wondered.

   “As long as you invite your sister to join you,” Beckett pushed open the door and found Brianna snuggled on the couch with Castle. Her attention was on the book that Castle was reading out loud. ”Hey.”

   Brianna shifted her gaze their way, “Lex fix Danny?”

   “She sure did, but he’s really tired so the boys are going to take a nap.” Beckett let it silently be known that Brianna would be joining them as well. That way she could catch an hour or two of sleep herself.

   “Daddy tell ‘prise,” Brianna encouraged hoping off the couch.

   Smiling, Castle crossed the living room and bent down to whisper to his son. His heart soared when a huge smile broke out across Nate’s face. They hadn’t really had the chance to ask what Nate thought about Daniel staying here on a permanent basis. The look on the seven-year-old’s face told both parents everything they needed to know. Castle was not surprised how accepting Nate would be. He had been attached to Daniel’s hip and is very protective.

   Nate stepped back to look up at his father for one more confirmation and gently squeezed Daniel’s arm. He was careful not to grip the part of the arm that was bruised. “There is a surprise for you upstairs.”

   Daniel’s small brow furrowed, “For me?” Even as he asked the question, Nate was dragging him carefully towards the stairs.

   Grinning himself, Castle wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder and followed the two boys and their daughter. He heard a gasp just as they hit the top stair. Daniel was frozen in the threshold of Nate’s bedroom. The writer touched Daniel’s shoulder, “Daniel?”

   Inside the room where there had been just one bed, desk, and dresser this morning, was now completely different. There was another twin bed across from Nate’s with the same Met’s bed sheets. The shelves above the new bed were empty, as its original contents shifted to joining Nate’s other stuff over his bed. Resting against the new bed was a stuffed griffin with an extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the bed.

   Daniel looked at Nate, who stood near his bed smiling, then shifted his confused gaze to the two adults. “I don’t understand.”

    “Well if you’re going to stay here with us then you’re going to need a bed of your own.” Castle explained as Brianna nudged Daniel into the room. “You can’t be sharing with Nate the whole time, now can you?”

   Hesitant, Daniel touched the new bed, “This is mine?”

   “Yep,” Castle moved to the closet and opened it up, “I got you some clothes.”

   Brianna made a noise.

   “We got you some clothes,” The writer corrected, “When you’re up to it, we’ll take you out to get more. Nathan has informed me I have horrible fashion sense.”

   Nate managed a ‘that’s so true’ nod to his friend before his father could turn around and catch him in action. Brianna brought a hand to her mouth to muffle her giggle.

   “Why…” Daniel swallowed the sob bubbling in his throat, “Why did you do this?”

   “Well,” Beckett slid her hand into Castle’s, “We want you to stay with us. All of us.” She informed him and her children moved to their side to show him that they were. “And if possible we want to make it permanent. That is if you want.”

   Daniel shuffled over to Nate and spoke in a low voice, “You want me to stay too?”

   “Of course, Danny. We’ll be brothers.”

   “Now I have two!” Brianna announced proudly of herself for being able to count.

   “We have to make sure the court says he can stay,” Castle gently reminded his children.

   Daniel sat in the middle of the room, pulled his knees to his chest and wept.

   Panicked, Beckett glanced at Castle. Had they made a mistake in what Daniel wanted? Should they have waited before approaching this subject? When he gave them a hopeless shrug, she knelt beside the crying boy, “Danny,” She gently rubbed the boy’s back as Nate joined them. “We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to upset you. If you don’t want to-”

   “No!” Daniel’s head snapped up from its resting place on his knees, “I want to stay.”

   Becket wiped the tears from his discolored face, “Why are you so upset?”

   “I’m not upset,” He sniffled, “it’s just no one…” He hiccupped, “…No one, besides my Mommy, ever wanted me before. You-you actually want me.”

   Beckett gathered him as close as possible, “Of course, we want you and we will fight to keep you.”

   After Daniel cried himself to sleep, Rick and Kate shut the bedroom door once Nate laid down himself. Brianna had insisted on sleeping with them and they didn’t argue. Beckett closed the door on a heavy sigh. Her heart was aching for Daniel. She knew that his life had been bad, but to not be wanted or loved in his short life, that was too much. “We have to keep him here,” Tears were in her eyes when she looked at Castle, “Rick…”

   He kissed her wrinkled brow, “I know that’s why I called my lawyer.”

   “On a Saturday.” 

   “I pay him enough to disturb one of his weekends,” He led her back downstairs, “I just figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a head start on this. Our biggest issue right now is if somehow Jack gets off.”

   The thought made Beckett’s eyes flare with anger, “I don’t care what I have to do, that man is not getting near Daniel ever again.”

   He soothed a stray of lock of hair from her face, “Neither will I.  If we’re going to do this, we’re going to have to throw every effort we have. There will be visits from social services. Our parenting will be put under a microscope before the court.”

   None would be found. They were good parents. Weren’t they? Their children were their lives. Their children’s happiness always came before their own. Hell, they already proved that they were willing to give up their lives for them. How could the courts look at that and say they weren’t good enough parents to take in another? Daniel deserved to be in a happy and loving home. If he went into the system the chances of him finding a good family right away wasn’t good. Especially with his age and background.  Her racing thoughts hit a wall of realization. The courts would drag up the miscarriages. They would bring up the fact that after the first one she had just packed up and left for a few weeks. Guilt for her actions still haunted her to this day.

   “We will handle it,” Beckett said after some time. “We can face everything they throw at us because we’re strong.”

   “Come on, you need to get some sleep.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   “Okay, one more,” Castle took the last pillow from the couch and placed it on top to complete the roof. Inside three sleeping bags were set up for the children to watch a movie. “I think that does it.”

   Beckett came into the living room with a bowl of popcorn, “What movie are you guys going to watch?” Her gaze cut to Nate before he could even make a sound, “Not Monty Python.”

   “Oh, come on!” Nate whined, “It’s my favorite movie and I want to share it with Danny.”

   “One child obsessed with that movie is enough,” Castle glared at his wife since it was her fault that their son found a way almost every day to slip in a reference of the movie. “Plus, Bree isn’t old enough for that movie.”

   Nate folded his arms over his chest with a pout, “No princess movies.”

   “Wall-E?” Brianna suggested climbing into the fort to pick her spot.

   “Okay.”

   Castle glanced at Daniel who was clutching his stuffed griffin looking a little lost. It was clear that he was still adjusting from the news of the day. “So what are you going to name him?”

   “Name what?” Daniel asked.

   The writer pointed to the stuffed animal, “You have to give him a name.”

   Daniel brought the griffin up to stare at it, “I do?”

   “Yep,” Nate confirmed, “I had a stuffed dragon and his name was Drake. I gave him to Kaden.”

   Brianna waved her bunny, “His name is Red.”

   “I don’t know what to name him,” Daniel confessed looking to his friend, “Will you help me?”

   Nate grinned, “Of course.”

   After two movies and three bowls of popcorn, the children called it a night. Nate, Daniel, and the newly christened Arthur crawled up the stairs like zombies.  Castle started down the hall after putting Brianna to bed, he stopped just outside the boys’ bedroom when he heard hushed voices coming from inside.

   “Nate?”

   “Yeah, Danny?” The boy’s voice sounded like he was on the edge of sleep.

   There was some rustling before Daniel spoke again, “Do you really want me here?”

   “Of course.”

   “You don’t mind me sharing your mom and dad?”

   “You don’t share love, they have an equal amount for all of us.”

   “But I’m not their son.”

   “Yes, you are.”

   “Not really.”

   “Danny, you don’t have to be blood to be family. You’re a part of mine now.”

   There was a long pause before Daniel spoke again, “Nate?”

   “Yeah.”

   “Thank you.”

   “For what?”

   “Wanting to be my brother.”

   “Never thank a person for loving you, it’s the family motto.”

   Smiling, the writer continued down the hall after they bade each other goodnight. They are definitely doing something right when it came to raising Nate. He just hoped that they do the same with Brianna.

   “What are you smiling about?”

   Castle hit the last stair and just stopped to stare at his wife. Her hair was tossed in a messy bun, her face scrubbed of makeup, and wore one of his shirts with a pair of old sweats. She never looked more beautiful. “About how great your son is.”

   “Don’t you mean ‘our’ son?” Beckett asked shutting off the main light in the kitchen. “He’s got more of you in him than me, especially that big heart.”

   He turned off the living room light, “He’s got your compassion and drive to help those who can’t help themselves.” Castle was grateful for that.

   “He’s been through a lot in his life. It makes him see things differently than a normal seven-year-old. Now…” Beckett met him in front of the office door and hooked her arms around his neck. “Have I told you what a great man and father you are?”

   He pouted a little, “Not husband?”

   “That’s just a given.”

   “Well then,” He pulled her close, “It’s nice of you to acknowledge that I’m not a total screw up.”

   “I mean it, Rick,” Beckett ran the tips of her fingers over the corner of his upturned mouth. “I don’t want to think what my life would be like without you.”

   He rested his brow against hers, “And you will never have to because I’m not going anywhere.”

   It pained her that she couldn’t promise the same thing. Every day she ran the risk of not coming home. Her job, no matter what role she took, always had that danger attached. They had talked about if that happened around the time she was recovering from her tangle with Grey. A conversation she had to force her husband to have since thinking about it made it too real. Becket made Castle promise that day to do two things. Always be there for their children and try to find happiness, even if that meant with someone else.

   Knowing where her thoughts were drifting towards, Castle held her so tight he stole the breath out of her lungs. The urge, as it did every now and again, to ask her to lay down her badge bubbled in his throat. Of course, it never formed into words. If he asked, truly asked her to give it up, she would. In the end,  a part of her would end up resenting him and Castle couldn’t live with that. There were going to be no regrets when it came to their relationship.  


	8. 8 AM School Day

   “Mr. Castle,” Ms. Shane greeted the writer as she waded through the morning rush of children to make their way inside. She glanced around and frowned, “Where is Nathan?”

   “At home,” Castle informed, “I need to talk to you and the headmaster about his absence.”

   “How long will he be out?”

   “At least for a week, if not more.”

   “Is he sick?”

   Castle was a bit surprised that the news of Jack’s arrest hadn’t reached her. With all the other news going on in the city, an arrest of an NYPD officer for child abuse barely made a blip on the radar. “Nate is staying at home to keep Daniel company while he heals.” As Castle explained the events of the weekend, he watched the teacher’s face sob before turning grim with horror. There was even a hint of guilt.

   “How horrible,” Ms. Shane worked the words out of her throat. “I knew something was going on in his life but not this. Has Jack been arrested?”

   “He has his arraignment this morning. We are keeping custody of Daniel for as long as we can until the trial.” Unless Jack made a deal with the DA, Castle knew the type of man Jack was and knew the officer wouldn’t openly admit what he had done. No doubt because in the man’s mind he had done nothing wrong. “It’s a place where he feels safe and comforted.”

   “What will happen if Jack makes bail?”

   “The court most likely will put an order of protection on Daniel making it so he can’t get near him. Kate and I will drop him off and pick him each day to make sure that Jack abides by it. That’s what I need to talk to the headmaster about,” Castle stated, “The school needs to be vigilant on what is going on.”

    “How long do you plan to keep him out of school?”

   “Until he feels comfortable in going or he heals up. Right now he’s in rough shape and is in no condition to be going to school.” Caste didn’t want Daniel to have to deal with whispers and looks of pity. His wounds would take time to heal and Castle knew that he couldn’t keep the boy out of school for as long as it would take for the bruising to go away. “Nate won’t leave his side.”

   “He’s always been protective of Daniel,” Ms. Shane started leading the writer towards the main building, “Let’s go talk to the headmaster. I will make sure that you get everything they need to make sure they don’t fall behind.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

    Arraignment had been set for ten. Beckett showed up an hour early to make sure she didn’t miss it if they decided to change the time. As the time ticked closer, Beckett noticed the increased traffic of uniformed officers. They were starting to crowd the room leading into the courtroom. With the number of dirty looks she was receiving, Beckett knew that they were from Jack’s squad. Beckett was about to take refuge somewhere else in the courthouse when Ryan and Esposito showed up with coffee. The two men took post on either side of her like faithful knights.

   Ryan handed Beckett a cup of coffee, “Morning.”

   “Thanks,” Beckett took a large sip of the caffeinated beverage.

   Esposito scanned the officer’s faces. “Anyone giving you any trouble?”

   “Well if looks could kill,” Beckett muttered.

   “How is Daniel?” Ryan softly asked.

   She had informed them both of the boy’s condition after returning from the doctor’s office. The swelling around his eye had decreased thanks to the constant ice packs they had given him. Daniel could almost open his eye, only it caused him too much pain to try very often. Her worry about his vision was increasing. “Sore but in good spirits.”

   “Is he staying with you until Child Services can place him?” There was something in Esposito’s voice when he asked the question.

   “No,” Beckett sharply replied, “We are going to keep him with us.”

   The corner of Ryan’s mouth lifted, “And after?”

   “Going to make him a Castle if this all goes to plan and the bastard doesn’t get off,” Neither man seemed surprised by her declaration. In fact, they were gleaming with happiness about it. They were family after all, so Beckett didn’t expect anything different.

   “You let us know if there is anything we can do to help.” Ryan simply offered just as the courts door opened with an announcement of the next few people up for arraignment.

   Beckett waited for the small eave of officers to file into the courtroom before entering with the two men. They sat in the front row with gazes of hatred from the other side of the room burning into their backs. She kept her head up and her eyes forward with the knowledge that in a few minutes it was all going to change.

   Just as the bailiff announced the case number, Jack Carter was escorted by two correctional officers into the courtroom. His eyes sought Beckett’s the moment he cleared the threshold. Sinister didn’t even begin to describe the look on his face. Sometime over the weekend, Jack had found himself a suit to replace his blue that he was arrested in. Most likely from his lawyer that was waiting for his client to join him. The man looked expensive by the looks of his three-piece suit.

   “Child abuse,” The bailiff listing the charges handed the judge a folder, “Child neglect and child endangerment.”

   Murmurs started to erupt from the line of officers sitting behind Jack. Beckett watched the man’s face twitch in irritation. Beckett found herself feeling enraged. He nearly beat his son to death and the bastard was irritated, most likely (it seems) by the fact that his life had been interrupted and nothing more.

   The judge looked up after reading the charges herself, “How does the defendant plea?”

   “Not Guilty,” Jack stated.

   “What are the people asking?”

   “Remand your honor,” The DA informed.

   “Your honor my client is a valued member of the NYPD…”

   The DA cut the man off, “Who nearly beat his son to death.”

   “There is no proof that my client did such a thing.”

   “I think a statement from the victim and the photographic evidence are proof enough,” The DA shot back.

   Beckett sat and watched the police officers behind Jack break into whispers as the DA and lawyer bantered back and forth about the possibility of jail. She caught anger in the voice closest to her. A cop laying a hand on their own child was an unspeakable crime. They had vowed to protect the innocent and punish those that commit crime. Beckett’s gaze shifted to Jack’s sober face while his lawyer argued with the judge. Remand was what he deserved. Jack had the money to either skip out of the country or do something stupid like try to take his son back by any means necessary. Jack thought of Daniel as property and something that belonged to him.

   “Where is the child now?” The judge asked breaking up the arguing.

   “Since the victim has no living family, he is in the custody of the city.” The DA informed.

   “Given the charges against the defendant, bail is set at five hundred thousand. Also, the defendant shall have no contact with the child and must stay at least five hundred feet from the child’s school. The child shall remain in the custody of the city until the end of the trail.” The judge stuck her gavel to end the hearing. “Next case.”

   The correctional officers escorted Jack back to the side door. Beckett tried not to squirm when his gaze sought hers one last time before he disappeared through the doorway. There was so much hatred in the man’s eyes. Esposito made a grumble at the judge’s decision as she stood with the rest of the room. At least they didn’t have to worry about the uniformed officers going out. They all looked pissed as hell. Some even gave her an apologetic look before shuffling out of the courtroom. Bail was high, but with Jack’s financials, it wouldn’t take him long to get the money to make bail. She wasn’t looking forward to preparing Daniel for the possibility. Sighing, Beckett followed the line of the uniformed officers.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   “Lieutenant Beckett.”

   Beckett looked up from her computer screen to find a well dressed middle aged woman standing near her desk armed with a shoulder briefcase and a file in hand. “Umm…” Abandoning what was on her screen, she gave the unknown woman her full attention. “That’s me.”

   “Do you prefer to go by Castle?” The woman asked.

   “Here I go by Beckett. What can I do for you …”

   “Joyce,” The blonde offered a hand, “I’m Joyce Fraser from Child Services.”

   “Oh,” Feeling the need to sit straighter, Beckett adjusted herself in her chair before shaking the offered hand, “In that case please call me Kate. Would you like to have a seat?”

   “Maybe we can go somewhere with a bit less traffic.”

   Beckett took her to the break room where she offered to make coffee to keep her hands busy. Even though she faced harden criminals for a living this woman made her feel incredibly off balance and nervous. “You’re here about Daniel?”

   “Yes,” Joyce laid her briefcase on top of the table and pulled out another file. “We called your boss wondering why Daniel hadn’t been turned over to our office and she told me that he was staying with you?”

   “Yes.”

   “Lieutenant Beckett you know that in these types of cases…”

   Beckett didn’t let her finish, “I know, but putting him in a group home right now is not the best thing for him. He barely speaks two words to anyone and if we had any shot of him testifying against his father he needed to stay in a place where he felt wanted, where he felt safe.” The cop stalked over to the table, “He’s bonded with my son. He even confided in Nate about the abuse before this weekend.”

   Joyce frowned, “And you did nothing about it?”

   “No, no,” Frustrated, Beckett pushed her hair from her face, “Daniel made my son promise not to tell anyone because he was afraid of what getting help might do.”

    “Did you suspect something when you went to the school last week?”

   “I suspected something was going on with him but didn’t think it was abuse. The teacher had informed me that he lost his mother not even a year ago so I thought he was just a bit withdrawn in grief.”

   “Yet you gave him your badge number.”

   “I showed the entire class my badge,” Beckett corrected. “Look if I had suspected something I wouldn’t have just sat back. I would have done something.”

   “You seem to be quite attached to the boy.”

   “I am,” There was no reason to lie about that. “He’s been through a lot and we just want to do whatever we can to get him through it.”

   “We?” Joyce echoed.

   “My husband and I,” Beckett filled in, “We, well, depending on the trial, we want him to stay with us.”

   Surprise crossed the social worker’s face, “According to our records you haven’t known Daniel very long and taking in a child isn’t a simple matter, especially an abused one.”

   “And throwing him in a house with twenty other boys just like him is worse? The odds of Daniel getting put in with a good family are slim. We both know that” Beckett wasn’t going to let Joyce say anything different. The system had its faults. Beckett had seen it time and time again in her line of work. People wanted a normal child with no baggage which took out half of the children in the system. It is a sad truth. “We can provide a safe and loving environment for Daniel. We can help him heal and get through this ordeal, so hopefully, the rest of his childhood can be normal as possible.”

   “You have two children of your own.”

   “They should be shining examples of what we have to offer Daniel.”

   “How is your son?” Joyce asked, “After what happened two years ago.”

   The question caught Beckett off guard and hoped she masked the displeasure before Joyce could notice it. She and Castle had put in a lot of hard work to get Nate to work past what happened with Grey. Hell, for all of them. Still every time she caught sight of the scar on her neck or the mark above her brow in the mirror she still shivered. Of course, Castle was still helping her work through the way she felt about herself whenever she undressed to look at the scars and not be disgusted at the way they branded her body. “He is a happy seven-year-old. If you care to check you’re more than welcome to. You’ll find both of my children…”

   “I’m not questioning your parenting, Lieutenant.” Joyce held up a hand in surrender, “I’m just trying to understand if you’re heart is in the right place when it comes to Daniel Carter. After seeing the pictures, I think we can both agree that he’s better off without his father. However, staying with you can let the defense claim that you’re coaching him on what to say at the trial.”

   “I think that with the pictures we can nail Jack without Daniel having to testify.”

   “I want you to prepare yourself that if you keep Daniel with you throughout the trail that your life will be under a microscope. Your lifestyle and parenting will be on trial as well. Are you prepared for that?”

   Beckett answered without missing a beat, “Yes.”

   Joyce nodded, “Well, then we have some paperwork to fill out and of course, I will have to inspect your home to make sure everything is suitable.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o

    “Hello…” Beckett called out as she walked into the loft.

   “In the kitchen, dear,” Martha called out.

   “Is Rick home because we have to …” Beckett stopped short with Joyce at her side. In the kitchen, the three children and actress were hard at work baking something. Brianna was sitting on the edge of the counter happily dangling her feet while watching the two boys stir something in a large bowl. Beckett wasn’t sure if there was more flour on their faces than in whatever they were cooking. With Martha at the helm, Beckett was almost afraid to ask. She glanced at the social worker out of the corner of her eye before addressing her mother-in-law, “What are you doing?”

   “Baking my dear Katharine,” The red-head wiped her hand on her apron, “Did you know that Daniel has never had cake in his life? When he told me this, we just had to correct the situation. We have company?”

   “Oh,” Beckett gestured to Joyce, “This is Joyce Fraser from Social Services. She is here to check on Daniel.”

   The boy in question cowered behind Nate who had positioned himself as if to protect his friend anyway he could.

   The tension had Joyce playing with the strap of her briefcase, “Just a formality, I’m sure. You must be Martha Rodgers.”

  The actress crossed the room to meet the newcomer halfway with an outstretched hand and a warm smile, “The one and only.”

   “Give me a second,” Beckett dashed off to the office to store away her weapon before leading Joyce near the kitchen. Brianna happily greeted her with a floury hug and kiss. “This is my daughter, Brianna.”

   The two-year-old smiled, “You’re pretty.”

   Joyce returned the smile, “So are you.”

   “We baking a cake for Danny,” Brianna happily informed, “I’m helping.”

   The social worker laughed, “I can see that.”

   Beckett placed a hand on Nate’s taut shoulder willing him to relax. “This is my son Nathan and this is Daniel. It’s okay, sweetie. She’s just here to check on you,” Beckett noticed the moment that Joyce’s gaze landed on the battered boy’s face. Rage flashed across her own face and Beckett knew by the way she was working her jaw that Joyce struggled to keep it under control. “Daniel, this is Joyce.”

   He peeked out a little further from behind Nate but didn’t say a word.

   After a look from his mother, Nate turned around to coax Daniel out, “Mom says its okay, Danny.”

   “You going to take me away?” Daniel asked.

   Joyce shook her head, “No,” She assured but it didn’t ease the terror on the boy’s face. “Just here to check on you. Would you mind showing me where you are sleeping?”

   “Can Nate come?”

   “Of course,” Joyce glanced at Beckett, “If you could stay here. We’ll be back.”

   Martha joined the two women in the kitchen after Nate and Daniel led Joyce upstairs, “Are they going to take him?”

   “If everything checks out then I think not.” Beckett couldn’t say for sure.

   “For Daniel’s sake, I hope not.”

  “Where is Rick?”

   “Publisher meeting.”

   They lapsed into silence while they waited for what seemed an hour for Joyce to come back down the stairs. She looked at Beckett in disbelief, “Daniel told me that you and your husband bought him a bed and clothes.”

   “Did you think we would have him sleeping on the floor?” Beckett tried to take the bite out of her voice, “He’s had enough of that for a lifetime.”

   “I didn’t mean to offend you,” Joyce quickly stated, “I’m just surprised that’s all. You’ve gone out of your way to make him feel at home here.”

   “That’s because we intend to make sure of that for the rest of his life,” Martha stated. “There is no better home for him than here with us.”

   “Lieutenant Beckett I can see that you’ve gone to great lengths for Daniel,” Joyce offered a smile, “I will report to my bosses my recommendation that Daniel continues to stay here until after the trial. If things work out the way we’re hoping I will even put your name forward as guardian.”

   Beckett’s shoulders relaxed, “Thank you.”

   “You’ll be hearing from our office by the end of the week. You and your husband will need to come in for some paperwork.” Joyce also explained about visits over the course of the next few weeks and even gave advice on long term requirements they would have to meet to even be considered to get custody of Daniel.

   “That went well,” Martha stated once Joyce left. “Right?”

   “Seems like it,” Beckett lifted her daughter off the counter, “I think someone needs a bath.”

   “Cake not done,” Brianna pouted.

   “Me and Grams will finish it tomorrow,” Beckett suggested, “I don’t think Daniel feels much like eating one right now.”

   “Danny stay?” The two-year-old asked.

   “For now.”

  0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   Castle waited until he was alone with Beckett in the kitchen washing dishes while the kids played upstairs, to ask about the arraignment hearing and the surprise visit. “They give him bail?”

   “They set it high, but with his finances, I don’t think it’s going to take him long to get the money together,” Beckett dunked a dish into the soapy water. “They’ve put in an order of protection on Daniel so Jack can’t get near him.”

   It wasn’t good enough for Castle. The bastard shouldn’t have gotten bail in the first place. “A piece of paper isn’t going to do Daniel any good if Jack decides he wants to take him.”

   “I know.”

   “Should we pull him from school?”

   “We can’t do that. The trial won’t be for a few months.” The idea didn’t sound half bad, but logically they couldn’t shield Daniel from the world until it was all over. They needed to get the boy back into a normal routine as quick as possible. “We just have to be diligent and just keep an eye on what Jack does once he makes bail.”

   “Did the visit go okay with the social worker?”

   “It seemed to. I think seeing Daniel in person and how he was with Nate helped her change her mind about him staying here,” She handed the dish for her husband to dry, “I overheard him talking to Nate about how terrified he is that she’s going to take him away.”

   “We won’t let her.”

   “What if the court doesn’t agree? What if they think we’re unfit to care for him?”

   “We have to be a shining example for the court to look at,” Castle insisted, “If they think he’s better off somewhere else, we will just take every action necessary to keep him here.”

   “Leu-ten-ant Castle. Mr. Castle.”

   The duo turned away from the sink to find Daniel standing shoulder to shoulder just inside the kitchen with Nate. The blonde headed boy looked anxious so Beckett smiled in hopes to ease it, “You can call us Kate and Rick, sweetie.”

   “I, umm…” Daniel looked to Nate for encouragement then took a deep breath, “I would like to go to school?”

   “You do?” Castle asked surprised.

   “Yes.”

   “Are you sure you don’t want to wait until you’re healed up a bit?” It was more of a suggestion than a question. Of course, letting him go to school would put Daniel back on the path of normalcy. She just wanted to do what she could to protect him from the harsh whispers of his fellow students and teachers.

   “No,” Daniel said with full reassurance. “I just want to go back to school so I don’t have to think about what happened. I know people will stare, but I have Nate to help me.”

   “If it’s what you want, then you’ll go tomorrow. But…” Beckett held up her hand before the two boys could scatter, “If at any point you want to go home, have the school call one of us.”

   “And you’re going to stay with Ms. Shane after school until Kate or I pick you up,” Castle carefully instructed, “No one else. Do you understand?”

   Daniel paled a little, “Is he out?”

   “No. But there is a possibility that they’ll let him out on something called bail,” Beckett’s heart broke at the horror filling Daniel’s eyes. “We won’t let him near you, Daniel. I promise you’ll be safe.”

   Her words did nothing to diminish the look in his eyes. His voice even shook when he spoke, “Okay.”

   “Come on Danny,” Nate gently nudged his friend’s shoulder, “I want to introduce you to the world of Doctor Who.”

   “I hate this,” Beckett shoved both hands through her loose hair, “Promising something I don’t know if I can keep. If the trial goes south…”

   “It won’t,” Castle stepped behind her to gently rub her shoulders. “We just have to think of Daniel and how to get him through this.”

   “But if they find-…”

   “It won’t matter if he lives here or somewhere else, he will always be family,” He tucked her against his chest and rested his chin on top of her head. “We won’t let him slip out of our lives, no matter what happens.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   The next afternoon, Beckett and Castle meet with Joyce outside of Jack Carter’s brownstone with a warrant to go inside. Social Services needed to evaluate the living conditions at the house to judge If Jack would even be allowed to see his son any time before the trial ended. The first thing that struck Beckett upon entering the house was the lack of personal things. The foyer was empty except a small table near the door with a single key on a ring inside a bowl on top of it. There was no surprise to find the living room bare of personal touches as well. Inside the room, there was only a black leather couch, a coffee table, and a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall. The place was immaculate. There wasn’t a spot of dirt or dust anywhere. The kitchen was just the same. Beckett opened a cabinet and found it organized so well that it would satisfy any OCD person. Everything even had a label.

   “Jesus, this place is spotless.” Castle stalked around the kitchen almost in disgust.

   “He likes control, “ Beckett shut the cabinet door, “Over everything.”

   Castle stopped in front of the door next to the refrigerator and flicked the unlocked padlock. There were even two deadbolts and a chain lock on the bottom of the door. It was exactly like how Daniel had described it.  “Basement.”

   Sensing her husband’s discomfort, Beckett opened the door finding it pitch black. She fished out her flashlight from her pocket and turned around to call for the social worker. “Joyce.”

   “Right behind you,” She assured.

   Beckett led them down the squeaky wooden stairs. Her beam of light illuminated the corner closest to them. There were boxes strategically positioned to act like a barrier three boxes high to block the stairs.  One of the stacks was pushed aside allowing them access to the rest of the room. No doubt moved by Jack the night Daniel escaped to check on the boy. There was another line of boxes dividing the room in half. One side had the boiler, water heater, and other household machinery. Beckett moved forward with her flashlight to see what was on the other side. What she found made her sick.

   There was a bucket in the corner with the strong odor of urine coming from within. The area was blocked off by a few rows of boxes making the area around the bucket a tad bigger than the length of a child. This was where Jack must have made Daniel sleep. There was no pillow, blanket, or any type of bedding. The room was cold and drafting. There was no telling how Daniel survived sleeping on the concrete during the winter.

   “He slept here?” There was disgust dripping from Joyce’s voice.

   Castle set his jaw to calm himself before speaking, “Yes,” Daniel hadn’t mentioned how his father made him go to the bathroom. Castle was shaking from rage. How could a father do this to their own child? If Jack didn’t want to be a parent there was always adoption. There was no reason to put a child through this type of torture.

   Tears burned the back of Beckett’s throat. No wonder Daniel reacted the way he did to having a bed and a place of his own. She shifted her light in search of the window that the seven-year-old had escaped from. Just like he said, it had been nailed shut until Daniel had worked the nails out. “I can’t believe he fit.”

   Joyce frowned, “He had to be very determined to get away. How did he get so far away from here?”

   “He said he ran into a homeless woman who helped hide him when Jack ran after him,” Castle informed.

   “After we’re done here, Castle and I were going to canvas the neighborhood to see if we can find her.” Beckett had seen enough and knew that the others had as well so she led them back up the stairs.

   “I don’t think I need to see the rest of the house,” Joyce happily closed the door behind her, “I have more than enough for my report. Regardless of the verdict, Jack Carter is never going to get his son back. Not if I have anything to say about it. Find that woman. It will be another nail in his coffin.”

   Castle stopped for a moment after taking the steps down away from the brownstone. They had found Jack’s bedroom just as organized as his kitchen. The bastard had a bed big enough for three. The spare bedroom even had one. There was no reason for Daniel to be sleeping in the goddamn basement. “I want to kill him,” It wasn’t a feeling that he was used to. He could count on one hand how many people he felt such anger towards.     

   Beckett laced her fingers through his, “I know. You okay to help me look for that woman?”

   He nodded and took a deep breath, “We need to find her and we will cover more ground with the two of us. I just wish we could be done with this so Daniel doesn’t ever have to fear going back into that basement. I’m surprised that he has any spirit left in him.”

   “He’s a brave kid. We’ll just have to make sure that part of him never gets taken away. Now let’s go so you can go pick the boys up from school.”

 


	9. 6 PM Celebration

   On Wednesday night, Beckett answered the knock on the door with a huge smile. Alexis and Jeremy looked a little rough around the edges, but still were beaming with happiness. The cause for it was currently in the car seat that Jeremy was holding wrapped up like a burrito in a blanket covered in clouds, an NYPD beanie on his tiny head, and fast asleep. The green dragon, Drake, was on guard and nestled just above the newborn’s head just out of the way, not to harm Kaden, but close enough for comfort. “Where did the hat come from?” Beckett asked letting them in.

   “Pop-Pop,” Alexis replied with a grin dropping the diaper bag to the floor near the door.

   “Dinner is almost ready,” Beckett took their jackets and hung them up in the closet. The family dinner was missing a good chunk. Ryan and Esposito wanted to be here, especially to hear Jeremy’s results from his detective exam. As much as she knew that Jeremy would appreciate them showing their support, Beckett had to think about how having so many strangers would affect Daniel. She wasn’t sure how having Jeremy was going to impact the boy. “Nate is spreading the joy of Doctor Who to Daniel, and Bree is in the kitchen trying to help Rick.”

   Hearing his name, Nate turned around and poked his head over the couch, “Hey, Lex! Germ-y!”

   Jeremy couldn’t help but smile at the bow tie around Nate’s neck, “Hey, Nate.”

   Alexis crossed over to the couch finding Daniel huddled down out of sight. The bruising on his face was starting to fade into different shades of green – signs of healing. “Hey, Danny,” She softly greeted, while running her fingers through his shaggy hair. “Has my brother officially turned you into a Whovian?”

   Shyly, Daniel turned to look at her, “What’s a Whovian?”

   “Well,” Alexis took a moment to find the right words to use. Daniel’s head was tilted more to the left so he could actually see her. The morning exam she had with the boy confirmed the fear they had had about his sight. The swelling was nearly gone now, but Daniel’s ability to see was gone. They would have to do more testing on exactly what part of the eye was damaged and if it could be repaired. “It’s what people are called that like Doctor Who.” She gestured to her brother, “People like him, who wear a bow tie and have a sonic screwdriver.”

   The corner of Daniel’s lips curled when looking at his friend, “I do agree that bow ties are cool. I think that the Doctor is pretty cool.”

   “Yes,” Nate did a fist pump. “Converted another one, Germ-y!”

   “Is that so?” Jeremy placed the car seat on the coffee table before looking at Daniel. The condition of the seven-year-old’s face made Jeremy sick to his stomach, but did his best to push it away, “You must be Daniel. I’ve heard so much about you.”

   Nate scooted closer to Daniel, “I told him that you would draw something cool on his cast as you did to mine.”

   “Of course, I will! I’m Jeremy,” Jeremy held out his hand and watched the boy’s jaw work as he tried to work out the correct way to say his name. He gave Daniel a gentle smile, “But you can call me Germ-y. Only family can call me that.”

   Daniel carefully shook the extended hand, “Nice to meet you,” He glanced at the car seat where the baby boy inside was starting to wake. “Is that Kaden?”

   “Yes, it is,” Alexis was already working on the buckles, and as if sensing his awakened state, Beckett was already making her way towards them. The look of joy on her stepmother’s face as the woman carefully picked up her son made Alexis’s heart swell with emotions. Beckett loved that boy, just as much, if not more than her despite the fact that they shared no blood. “I see your grandmother senses are working perfectly.”

   Being called grandmother made Beckett falter for a moment, gazing down at the bundle in her arms nearly brought tears to her eyes. A short time ago this was not where she imagined her life to be. At this point in time, she thought that she would still be focusing on working her way up the chain at work, still chasing shadows about her mother’s murder, and maybe, just maybe, be in a committed relationship or with any luck married. Not happily married with three children that she loved with every fiber of her being, a grandson that was ready to be spoiled rotten, and her mother’s murder put firmly behind her. “Your father has had far more opportunities to hold him so I’m catching up,” Beckett lowered herself to the couch between the two seven-year-olds.

   After being reassured that he wasn’t doing anything wrong, Daniel leaned over to gaze down at the yawning baby. “He’s tiny.”

   Beckett laughed startling Daniel to recoil away. She slid her arm around him to bring him back assuring him that she wasn’t making fun of him. “He’s only a handful of days old. Everyone starts out this small. Isn’t that right Nathan?”

   He shook his dark hair from his eyes, “Mom says I was even tinier but that was because I came early. Not as early as Bree though.”

   “Come on,” Beckett stood after chatting with the group for a few minutes longer, “Dinner is ready.”

   Brianna was already seated in her regular chair with Martha at her side. Castle was setting the roast on the table as the group made their way to the table. The writer leaned down to kiss his grandson’s tiny head, “So are we going to wait until after dinner?”

   Beckett shifted Kaden in her arms as she sat at the table, “Not up to me.”

   Jeremy shifted his weighed from foot to foot before digging into the inside pocket of his jacket. He ran the envelope through his fingers, “I can’t bring myself to open it.” The paper was starting to fray and wrinkled from the constant fiddling. On a deep breath, he handed it over to his wife, “You open it.”

   “Are you sure?” Alexis cradled the envelope in her hands like it was as precious as their son.  In truth it almost was. Inside was a paper that had the ability to alter her husband’s life and in turn hers as well.

   He looked around the table at the supporting faces and nodded, “Yes.”

   Nate held up at hand to the older man, “Wanna hold my hand Germ-y? Mommy always tells me that holding Daddy’s hand always calms her.”

   “Yes,” Jeremy took Nate’s hand and held out his other one for Daniel to take, which took him a few tries to actually bring himself to do. “Okay Lex, I’m ready.”

   She carefully opened the envelope to do as little damage to it as possible. She was all too well aware that all eyes were on her, even if one or two of them didn’t know exactly why. A long minute stretched into two before Alexis folded the paper, slid it back into the envelope, and looked her husband straight in the eye. The corner of her mouth curved up ever so slightly, “I think I can get used to calling you, Detective Dunn.”

   “What?” Jeremy blinked a few time before the words finally sank in and registered. A huge smile broke out across his face, “Are you serious?”

   “Of course I am. This would be a horrible thing to joke about,” Laughter spilled from her throat when her husband wrapped her in a hug so tight it felt like her rib cracked. Happy, Alexis had to force herself to focus on the happiness she felt for her husband. Not about the tidal wave of worry and fear that came along with the promotion. The detective had its own special dangers that went with it. Alexis had witnessed it first hand when her father started hanging around the Twelfth.  As Jeremy continued to squeeze the life out of her, Alexis caught sight of Beckett’s face and found it softened with a look that was meant just for her. Her stepmother was silently giving her the understanding and advice she needed to push those two thoughts aside – for her husband and for his happiness and dreams. He had supported her with late night study sessions and his contentment of seeing her whenever there were five minutes between clinicals. So it was her turn now to support him even if it meant worrying about him every time he wasn’t with her. “I’m so happy for you, baby.”

   He pulled away to give her a hard kiss, “I couldn’t have done it without your support. Thank you.”

   She brushed her knuckles lightly over his cheek, “Never thank me for that.”

   Laying on one more kiss, he swept over to Beckett and did his best to hug her with the same strength as his wife without jarring his son. “Thank you so much, Kate.” Tears burned the back of his throat, “You and the boys helped me so much, but you took the time even though you had little of it to give and to teach me, so I was ready. You believed in me back when I was just a kid with a dream of being like his father.”

   Beckett eased back a little, “You did it yourself, Jeremiah. You’re going to make a fine detective. Most of all, your father would have been very proud of you.”

   “I know, I sure am,” Castle caught his son-in-law in a back slapping hug, “Congratulations, Detective Dunn!”

   Dinner was filled with humorous conversations, lots of laughs, and stories. Jeremy was at the helm of it since he was still on a high of good news. Beckett had snuck in a few words with Alexis when her husband or kids distracted the new detective. She knew that the doctor was down to the bone terrified about the promotion, even if Alexis hadn’t let a single ounce of it show on her face. There was no true advice to actually give to her. They had gone through that when Jeremy first entered the academy. Being a spouse of a cop wasn’t something that many people could do. So now Beckett just offered a few words before switching to fawning over Kaden to distract Alexis as best as she could.

    Once everyone was done eating, Castle stood to clear the plates in front of the two boys. “I think it’s time for dessert.” He glanced at Nate out of the corner of his eye and the boy hopped up out of his chair to follow him into the kitchen.

   Beckett shifted Kaden back into his mother’s arms to free her hands and shift closer to Brianna and Daniel. The two children were locked in a conversation that included a lot of laughing. When she heard the two Castle men moving behind her, she kept her gaze on Daniel’s face. The moment the seven-year-old saw it his face went through several different emotions when every occupant in the room wished him a happy birthday. Beckett even saw wetness gathering in his glassy green eyes. She wasn’t sure if that was out of happiness or fear.

   Nate stopped short with the candlelit birthday cake, “Danny, what’s wrong?”

   Daniel swiped his nose with the back of his hand, “I don’t understand.”

   “It’s a birthday cake,” Nate explained carefully putting it on the table in the area that his father had cleared out, “For you.”

   “For me? Why?”

   “Because,” a smile broke across Nate’s young face, “It’s your birthday.”

   Daniel’s brow furrowed, “What’s a birthday?”

   The question sliced Castle’s heart deeply. He never had a birthday celebration. Castle fought the anger that was rising and knelt down beside Daniel, “A birthday is when you celebrate the day you were born. Everyone has one.”

   “So today is my birthday?” Daniel wondered.

   “According to the paperwork that the social worker showed us, it is. Today you turn eight,” Castle informed, “So we wanted to celebrate it with you. All of us.”

   “You got pri-ints.” Brianna exclaimed.

   “Prints?”

     
“She means gifts,” Martha corrected reaching under her chair to pull out a gift wrapped box that was on the smaller side.  She handed it over to Daniel, “It’s a tradition to get gifts on your birthday.”

   Daniel carefully took the gift with his good hand. Beckett placed the gift from her and Castle in front of him, Brianna placed the drawing she made for him on the table, and Jeremy retrieved the gift from the Dunn’s that was tucked away in the diaper bag. Daniel started to carefully pull apart the colorful wrapping paper on Martha’s gift. Inside was a Captain America watch with a red, white and blue band and the superheroes shield as the face of the watch.  “Thank you.”

   “Here let me,” Martha reached over the table to fasten the watch over his good wrist.

   The rest of the gifts were a Star Wars Lego set from the Castles and a fourth Doctor’s scarf with the current Doctor’s sonic screwdriver from the Dunn’s. Nate stopped his friend from saying anything and handed him a poorly wrapped present.  He offered him a shy smile, “I wrapped it myself.”

   Daniel handled it like it was the most precious thing on earth because it came from Nate. He didn’t need to know what was inside. Whatever it was the best thing to ever get in his life.  “Thank you, Nate.”

   “You haven’t even opened it yet,” Nate pointed out on a laugh.

   Smiling, Nate tore into the wrapping paper until he uncovered a picture frame. The picture that was secured behind the glass was of him and Nate taken during their epic Wii battle last week. The writing on top of the frame said “BROTHERS” in big bold letters. On the bottom “best friends for life” was written in smaller curved letters.  With tears in his eyes, Daniel carefully set down the picture frame and threw his arms around Nate.

   Fighting tears herself, Beckett moved to her husband’s side to slide her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. When he pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head she let out a sigh of contentment.

00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   Beckett let out a gasp of astonishment when Castle stopped the car in front of an enormous two-story Colonial house. The pale blue structure was sitting in the middle of at least six acres of land if not more. A large cobbled stone driveway leading to a two-car garage and an entrance leading to the side of the house. There was a beautiful porch that wrapped around the length of the house and was accompanied by a balcony on the floor above.  Beckett shielded her eyes with her hand to keep scanning. She mused that the balcony was attached to the master bedroom.  The numerous amounts of windows were all flanked with white wooden shutters.  She particularly liked the bay window in the front giving a great view from the living room. There was even a sizeable white four post fence bordering the property.

   Castle was already out of the car and unloading the kids from the back seat, “So...” He rounded the car to help her out smiling at her expression.  “What do you think?”

   Beckett pushed her sunglasses on top of her head, “It’s huge,” Of course she was stating the obvious.  It was the only thing that she could get out. It was beautiful. She could already picture what she would put where and they haven’t even taken a step inside. There was something about this house.

   “Lots of room...” Castle slipped an arm around her waist to lead her up the walk after the trio of kids. He smiled at the way the boys stopped to help Brianna up on the porch step before scattering to look into the windows. “Plenty of room for a few rocking chairs and maybe a porch swing. Maybe we can plant a garden.”

   “Neither one of us has a green thumb,” Beckett reminded.

   “Mother might.”

   With a skeptical look, Beckett opened the door to the cheers of the children who were close behind. The stairs leading to the second floor was just a few steps outside the foyer which split the floor plan of the house. To the left was a spacious living room that had a window seat looking out the bay window. To the right was an informal dining room that had been converted into a library with floor to ceiling bookcases.  The door leading out of the library went straight to the kitchen.

   Castle pointed up the hallway past the stairs, “There are two bedrooms along with two and a half baths down that way. There are four rooms and two baths upstairs. The master bedroom has its own bathroom. There is a loft type room above the garage that is out of the way and perfect for an office.”

   “That’s a lot of bedrooms.” Everything was so open. Upon stepping into the living room, Beckett didn’t actually realize just how cramped the loft actually was until now. It was amazing that they hadn’t killed each other since they practically stepped on each other every day.

   Castle slipped his hands into his pockets and just watched her walk around the living room. He could see her mind picturing family game nights, pillow forts, and movie nights.  Castle looked over his shoulder when Nate called out for him, “What is it, Bud?”

   “Can we go upstairs to look?” Nate asked shifting towards the stairs.

   “Keep an eye on your sister,” Castle instructed and the children took off upstairs. “There are cherry hardwood floors everywhere in the house except the bedrooms and kitchen. That made it easier to clean than carpet especially if we get a dog.”

   She loved it. She didn’t even have to see the size of the bedrooms to know that this house was perfect for them. Plenty of room for each child to have a room and even Martha could have the first floor to herself. And the yard!  Beckett moved to look out the large window at the lush green grass stretching in front of the house.  There was a large oak tree near the end of the drive that Beckett could picture having a tire swing on one of its lower branches. It was easy to imagine her and Castle sitting on the porch watching the children run around like banshees. She could even see the damn dog that Castle kept bringing up. Judging by the joyous look on her husband’s face, Beckett knew his mind was already set and was waiting for her approval. “This is the first house we physically looked at,” They had spent plenty of time the last few nights going through listings on the internet.

   “I know, but look,” The writer threw his hands in a “take it all in” gesture. “This place is perfect.”

   Beckett had to agree. This was a house they could really make into a home. It was a bit further than she liked from the station and school, but there was no way they would find such a spacious place closer. The corner of her mouth lifted, “I really love it.”

   “Yes!” Hooting with laughter, he caught her in his arms before spinning them around in dizzy circles. He was feeling so much happiness he thought his heart would explode from his chest.  Their life seemed to be settling down from the ups and downs of trying to have more children and everything else that kicked them down.  Together they had created a beautiful family and built a strong marriage. “Come on let’s go look upstairs.”

   They didn’t even make it out of the living room before Beckett’s cellphone came to life. A glance at the caller ID had her frowning, “Beckett.”

   “Who is it?” Castle mouthed with a crease in his brow.

   She held up a hand to shush him making her miss what her boss said, “What?”

   “Carter made bail?”

   Her gaze shot to the writer to see that he had heard the news. Their bubble of happiness deflated straight into dread. She bit back a curse. Not at the news, well not completely, anyway. She knew better than to start thinking that their life was finally on a good track. That way of thinking was like a beacon for something to kick them down a peg. Damn Murphy and his damn law. “How long ago?”

   “An hour or so,” Gates informed, “He’s been suspended without pay until the conclusion of the trial. There is talk of taking his badge now and not waiting for the verdict.”

   They should. God only knew the damage Carter could cause with it. “Thank you, Captain.”

   “Kate, I know how you feel about the guy and while I agree on those feelings, you promise me that you’ll stay away from him.” Gates had a plea in her voice, “You’re only going to hurt your chances with keeping custody of Daniel.”

   “I know,” After a few more words with her boss, Beckett ended the call and pocketed the phone. “Do we tell him now?”

   Daniel’s laughter had both adults looking up. Castle frowned, “We’ll wait until we get to the loft.”

   0o0o0o0o0o

    The next morning instead of going through the car loop like she normally did, Beckett parked her car, “All right guys hop out,” There was no cheerful chatter coming from the two in the backseat.  Daniel climbed out of the car, tucked his birthday hat down further on his head, and scanned the faces of the crowd in front of the group. Beckett slipped out of the car to join him, “You don’t have to go to school if you don’t want to, Daniel.”

   The blonde haired seven-year-old grasped the straps of his backpack, “No,” He said with as much confidence as he could. “I want to.”

   Beckett kept her eyes peeled as they made their journey to the front of the school. Nate stayed close as possible to Daniel’s, his gaze doing the same. If the situation were different, Beckett would be delighted that he was starting to display the great makings of a cop. “Remember you don’t leave Ms. Shane’s class until I come to pick you up. That understood?”

   “Yes,” Nate assured with a small shake of his head. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

   “I know you will,” Beckett knelt down to be at their eye level. She smoothed down her son’s beloved cowlick. “I don’t want you two to worry about him. That’s mine and your father’s job. So be good and I’ll see you after school.”

   “Love you, Mom,” Nate kissed her cheek.

   “Hey Daniel,” Her voice stopped him before he could turn and follow Nate to Ms. Shane. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

   Confused, Daniel looked to Nate then back to Beckett and shrugged.

   Beckett tapped her cheek, “A kiss goodbye.”

   “Oh!” A blush worked across his discolored face, but he beamed none the less and happily, kissed her cheek. “Goodbye, Leu-ten-ant Castle.”

   “It’s Kate,” Beckett corrected for the hundredth time. “Be good.”

   Nate tossed his signature Castle smile over his shoulder, “Always am.”

   “Yeah right,” Beckett muttered pushing to her feet once they were in the safety of the school. The urge to stake out the place for Jack was almost too overwhelming to ignore. As a cop, it was very hard to trust that the school would keep their promise and keep Jack from the property. In the end, she had to. There were victims waiting for her to bring them to justice on her desk. Plus there was no indication that Jack would break the order of protection. But she just had a gut feeling.  There was no way she could justify that to her boss to keep post outside the school. Taking one last look around, Beckett started back to her car.

 0o0o0o0o0o0o

    Beckett had been staring at the murder board for over an hour when her office phone rang, snapping her out of her trance. She pulled the receiver to her ear, “Beckett,” The voice on the other line had her stiffening, “What?”

   The volume of the Lieutenant’s voice had both detectives pushing from their desk to investigate. Ryan barely had time to lunge forward to catch the paling woman just as her legs gave out.

   Beckett gripped the phone so tight she was surprised it didn’t break under the pressure. “How?” Her voice was trembling with emotions. “How could you have let this happen?”

   Esposito’s heart seized up in his chest. Jack had gotten Daniel. It was written all over her face.

   The phone clattered to the ground. Beckett let it slip from her fingers even though the headmaster was still talking on the other end. “Rick,” The word left her lips just higher than a whisper.

   “Did something happen to Castle?” Ryan’s voice was flooded with worry. “Was it a car accident?”

   “Have to call Rick,” Beckett’s mind was working a million miles an hour that it was hard to latch onto a coherent thought. “He took them.”

   Esposito, with the help of his partner, lowered the Lieutenant into her chair, “What do you mean by ‘them’?”

   “Nate and Daniel,” Tears welled in her eyes, “Jack took them.”

   “How?” Ryan growled.

   “They’re not sure. It happened at recess. One minute they were there playing tag and the next several kids were shouting for help,” She started to rustle through the things on her desk. “I’ve got to call Rick. Where is my goddamn phone?”

   Ryan scooped up the receiver from the floor, “Do you want me to call?”

   “No, I need… I need to… He should hear it from me. Tell Gates,” Beckett was beyond grateful that the Irish detective stayed behind to punch in Castle’s number. Her hands were trembling so bad she couldn’t do it herself.

   “Speak of the devil,” Castle warm voice flooded through the speaker, “and what can I do for you, Lieutenant Castle?”

   In the background, she could hear Jeremy making anxious baby noises and Alexis laughing. It wasn’t hard to picture the scene. The officer would be holding the newborn making the noises and faces to get a response from his son and Alexis would be sitting next to him with her face red from laughing so hard. All the while her husband would just be soaking up the scene with a smile on his face. “Rick.”

   “Kate, what is it?” All humor had fled his voice.

   “They’re gone, Rick.”

   “Who is?”

   “Daniel and Nathan,” There was a sob caught in her throat she couldn’t’ stop. “Jack. He took them.”

   “How?” Fear had taken place of that humor. “When?”

   “The school just called and said it happened at recess. Uniforms are on their way to the school.”

   “I’ll meet you there.”

   “I’m not going,” The words just rushed out of her mouth. Time was precious. Jack had the boys and she had to find them. They weren’t at the school so she wasn’t about to waste precious time by going there. “There are so many places he could take them.”

  “His house!”

   “We’re going now. Rick? Rick?” There was a thud coming from the other end like the phone had fallen to the floor. “Rick?”

   There was a bit of rustling before Jeremy’s voice came through, “Kate, what is going on?”

   “Where is Rick?”

   “He just bolted out the door. What’s going on?”

   “Jack took the boys,” Panic was spreading through her. If Castle went to go confront Jack alone, there was no telling what the officer would do to him. She was already on her feet looking for her keys. “Jeremy, go after him. Don’t let him go alone.”

   “Okay,” Jeremy answered without hesitation.

   Ending the phone call, she whirled around to the worried face of the boys and their boss. “He’s going to Jack’s house. We have to beat him there. I can’t …”

   “Go!” Gates commanded and her people took off towards the stairs. “I’ll call for back up.”

  


	10. 1 PM Fire

   “Rick, wait!” Jeremy rounded the car in a dead sprint to keep up with his father-in-law’s giant steps. He hardly had enough time to take the man by the shoulder before he kicked in the door. “We need to wait for Kate.”

    Castle pounded on the front door of the two-story brownstone. Part of Jeremy’s words reached the logical side of his mind and since he didn’t have an ounce of authority he knew he should have waited for Beckett. If he did that, Castle was gambling with the lives of two seven-year-olds. Something he wasn’t about to do. Plus Beckett and the boys were already on their way.

   Jeremy watched the skin on Castle’s knuckles start to break apart as he continued to pound on the solid wood door. “Rick…”

   The writer nearly shoved Jeremy off the stop, “Don’t stand in my…” He trailed off when the young officer latched on to his arm. Alarm bells went off in his head, “What?”

   Jeremy’s face turned grim as he tilted it to the side, “Do you smell that?”

   A stench of harsh smoke filled his senses. “Jesus,” Castle slammed his foot into the door and the wood gave way with brutal force. He was already inside with Jeremy hot on his heels. They were greeted with a wall of smoke taking both men by surprise.

   Jeremy pushed the coughing writer further into the foyer where the smoke was a little thinner, “You okay?”

   Trying to purge the smoke from his lungs, Castle took a second to lean against the wall. “We need to split up.”

   The cop hesitated for only a moment before handing Castle his back-up piece, “I’ll take upstairs.”

   Castle shoved himself towards the kitchen hoping to find the source of the smoke – the basement. The thought spurred him into action. He tested the door handle and found it just slightly warm to the touch. Staying low, he swung open the door only to be greeted by another wall of smoke. He had been ready this time, blocking his face to keep his eyes from burning.  “Nathan!”

   “Dad!”

   Flames danced along the banister of the stairs, lashing out hoping to find more fuel for it to consume. The ceiling was lined with a wall of fire eating up the drywall with vigor. Castle shielded his face with his hand while making his way down the stairs. He found the source of the inferno in the corner of the basement where Daniel’s so called bed had been. With their backs together, Daniel and Nate were boxed in by the wall of boxes that were covered in flames. “Nate!”

   Nate’s head snapped up, “Dad, watch out!”

   The warning came too late. Before Castle could blink, he felt the sharp pain in his neck before the sudden pressure caused him to sag back in hopes to escape from it. The writer’s gun clattered to the floor to free his hands to claw at the wire digging painfully deep into his flesh.

   “Dad!” Nate struggled with his restraints only to find it hopeless. So he was forced to watch as Jack twisted the wire around his father’s neck as the smoke from the fire filled his young lungs. 

   “Stop!” Daniel pleaded with his father even though he knew it was hopeless. He knew that look in the man’s eyes all too well. The flames were dancing in Jack’s green orbs. They were wild with lust for pain and blood. Daniel knew that he wasn’t going to stop until the writer was dead at his feet.

   His assailant shoved at Castle’s back pitching him forward only making the situation worse. Blood coated his hands as he desperately tried to remove the source that was causing him pain.  Air, as scarce as it was at the moment, wasn’t making its way into his body making him disoriented and clinging to consciousness.

   Jack cut Castle at the knees and the wire cut deeper into the man’s tender flesh. “Don’t fight it.”

   The hell with that – Castle fought with all the strength he had. There was no way he was going to die here. He wasn’t going to fail his son or Daniel. His vision was starting to grey despite his efforts. Nate and Daniel were starting to blur before him, their cries becoming a distant murmur. Just when he was sure that the darkness was going to take him over, the pressure released and Castle crumbled to a heap on the ground. He pulled smoke hard into his lungs with it leaving a trail of fire on the way down.

   Jack kicked the writer onto his back, smiling as the man gasped like a fish out of water. “You and your bitch should have kept your nose out of my business.”

   Castle couldn’t move. He was too weak from the blood pouring from his neck and the lack of fresh air. Nate! His head lolled in the direction of the two boys. Tears streamed down their ash covered faces, their eyes full of fear. They were going to die and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  Beckett had one foot out of the car when she heard the echo of a gunshot coming from within the brownstone. “Rick!” Battling the icy claws of fear, she dashed to the smoke bellowing building.

   “Kate, wait!” Ryan tried to grab for her, “It’s not safe.”

   “My family is in there!” Beckett plunged fearlessly into the thick smoke. Her lungs instantly started to burn, while her eyes watered to the point of blindness. Her foot hit a solid mass sending her flying forward. Cursing, she rolled up onto her hands and knees and turned to come face to face with an ashen Jeremy. “No! No! No!” She pressed a trembling finger to her son-in-law’s neck in search for a pulse. “Thank God!” She skimmed the back of the younger man’s head and felt the thick moisture that had the consistency of blood. Beckett stumbled towards the open door, “Jeremy… Hurt…”

   Ryan charged up the stairs with his partner in tow.

   Beckett could hear the distant sounds of sirens as she stumbled blindly through the smoke filled house. “Rick!” Her throat burned like she swallowed the flames herself. The wood creaked and shuttered under her weight leaving Beckett to conclude that the heart of the fire was coming from below. It took her far longer than she liked to find the door leading to the basement. Flames were blocking her entrance and were so thick that Beckett couldn’t see into the room. “Rick!”

   “Mom!” Nate’s harsh cries rose above the roar of the fire.

   “Nathan!” Beckett shot through the flames, crying out as they licked her skin and singed her clothes. The smoke was making it hard to breathe let alone concentrate. “Nate.” A hard cough had her miss stepping and tumbling down the stairs landing hard on the concrete at the bottom. “Wh... Where… are you?”

   “Over here.” Nate coughed.

   Crawling, the Lieutenant came across the boys, as their shoes were being teased by the approaching flames, “Are you hurt?”

   Nate shook his head, “Dad is.”

   Beckett glanced in the direction Nate gestured to and her heart leaped into her throat. The man was trapped under a burning beam that had fallen from the floor above. Frantic, she worked to get the seven-year-olds free. “Listen to me,” She shed her coat and dropped it around them. It was the only protection that she could offer. Sweat poured down her neck, “I need you two to be brave. Pull the jacket as close as you can and run straight outside. Your uncles are out there.”

   “But Dad…” Nate argued his voice harsh from breathing in smoke.

   “I’m not leaving him,” Beckett vowed to shield her face from the harsh heat of the flames. “Now please go.”

   By the look on his face, it was clear that leaving was the last thing that Nate wanted to do. None the less, he helped Daniel to his feet and complied.

   Once she was sure that the boys were safely through the flames, Beckett scrambled to her husband’s side. “Oh, God!” Blood was flowing at an alarming rate out of the deep laceration from his neck. He risked bleeding out before help could reach them. Frantic, she pulled apart the sleeves of her blouse to use them to apply pressure.

   Castle groaned away at the sudden pain.

   “Rick.” Beckett splayed her fingers over his soot-covered cheek. There was no keeping the tears from her voice. This was bad. They had an inferno blazing around them that was just patiently waiting to consume them and trapping them from any escape.

   “Nate.” His voice was barely audible above the roaring flames.

   “I got him, baby.” She turned to assess the beam situation. The giant piece of wood pinned her husband’s lower half to the floor burning from both ends. “Just stay with me, Rick. I’m going to get you out of here.”

   “You,” It came out on a long cough, “Go.”

   “Not a chance.” Beckett pushed at the solid piece of wood only to meet resistance. The damn thing weighed a ton. Flames wiped and skipped around the room in a dance that licked almost teasingly at her hands. The smoke was causing her to lose her fine motor skills and the ability to concentrate for more than a few moments at a time.

   Castle weakly curled his blood-soaked fingers around her wrist, “Kate,” He waited until her teary gaze connected with his. Sorrow filled his rough voice, “You… Go…”

   “Rick…”

   “Kids… Need… You…”

   “Don’t,” A sob was stuck in her burning throat. He was right of course. Their children didn’t need to lose both their parents. Not when one could escape. But she couldn’t do it. They had made a vow to each other to face everything together. She gripped his face, “I can’t, Rick. I won’t lose you.”

   “Must!”

   “No!” Beckett roared as loud as the flames burning around them. Using all her strength, she shoved at the wooden beam. Her feet slipped under the pressure, sending her sprawling face first to the ground. She got right back up and tired again, and again, and again until her muscles were straining so hard she could feel them burning to the point they were on the verge of tearing. She collapsed in a sob of agony. The beam had barely moved an inch. “I can’t move it! I can’t!”

   “Kate…” The writer squeezed her wrist. The pain caused by his injuries was nothing to the pain he was putting her through. This wasn’t supposed to be the end. They were supposed to have a handful of years together, they were supposed to be so much more. Their story was only half written. He searched her grief stricken face, “Sorry.”

   “This isn’t’ your fault.” Beckett brushed her hands over his clammy cheek. Her head was starting to feel light, “We were supposed to have more time.” If anything he wasn’t the one that was supposed to go first. With her job Beckett always imagined that if something was to happen it would have happened to her.

   He wished, oh how he wished, he had the strength to touch her face just one last time.  Anguish filled his heart and not for himself, but for their family. Leaving them was the last thing he wanted to do. Fighting was just a fleeting thought. His body was far too weak from the blood loss and smoke inhalation. “Love…” He gulped, struggling to cling to consciousness. “Always…”

   Beckett was nearing hysteria. This was it. They had stared death in the face so many times and it was looking like their luck was running out. There was no way she could leave him. He never left her even when the situation turned deadly. They were partners in life and crime. They had vowed that the day they exchanged rings in front of their friends and family. Even as the clock ticked down to seconds, Castle stood by her side each and every time ready to go into the unknown with her. He deserved the same loyalty. It was a selfish way of thinking. She knew that. No matter how much she wanted to stay, she couldn’t. Nate, Brianna, and Daniel needed at least one parent. Beckett stroked his sweat mattered hair with tears streaming down her face, “I don’t want to go.”

   The corner of his mouth lifted in his attempt at a smile, “S’okay...”

   Beckett slammed her mouth to his and poured every ounce of love she could into it. The ceiling above gave a big moan sending more pieces of burning wood to rain down around them.  “I will always love you.”

   “Go...”

   Against every protest her heart was screaming at her, Beckett forced herself to stagger to the stairs. They were now entirely engulfed in flames. Her vision wavered as well as her feet. There was no way to stop her mind from going under. With her last coherent thought, Beckett turned back towards her husband. Her body completely gave out just inches from the blazing wall of fire. She shifted her hands close to Castle. The last thought that crossed her being, before the blackness took over her mind, was of her children.

  

  


	11. 5 PM Scare

   Though Beckett’s mind was muddled it seemed her body still remembered the trauma it experienced before she lost consciousness. She awoke gasping for air as if her lungs were empty of it. She was surprised when she pulled in clean oxygen instead of harsh smoke. Still, it left a trail of fire down her down. Beckett cracked her eyes open only to immediately slam them shut to block out the blinding white light. Where the hell was she? Judging by the amount of pain she was experiencing, she knew she wasn’t dead. And if she was, this wasn’t the place upstairs. Curious, Beckett cracked her eyes open. No flames. A good sign. It just meant that she was in the damn hospital again. As soon as that realization crossed her mind, she finally felt something covering her nose and mouth sending mixed signals to her lungs that they were suddenly empty. Frantic to correct this situation, she clawed at the ting on her face.

   “Easy now.” A voice soothed as a hand clamped around her wrist. “It’s an oxygen mask. You need to keep it on.”

   The message didn’t register. Beckett tried to swat at the hand that had an iron grip on her wrist. Very quickly, she found out that she was far too weak for that.

   “I’ll let you go if you promise to keep your mask on.”

   That didn’t sound like she had much of a choice. So she nodded and the pressure was released. Since things were starting to process more clearly in her mind, Beckett opened her eyes again. She couldn’t make out much. Everything was blurry. Well more so than usual. There was a shape of a person looming near her bedside. She desperately wanted it to be Rick. She knew it wasn’t. Her father’s worried voice greeted her once her vision cleared a little.

   Jim wanted to take her hand to comfort not only her but him as well. When his fingers brushed against the gauze, he snatched it back. Second degree burns branded the skin on the back of her hand. Her fingers experienced some third-degree burns. There were several first and second degrees running up her left arm and scattered across both her neck and face. Despite the red and blistering of her skin, she was almost as pale as the hospital gown she wore. Jim brushed her singed hair from her brow, “you scared me, Katie.”

   Taking was a bit difficult with her throat literally on fire. So she gave an ‘I’m sorry’ nod. And like always, he accepted the apology without a word. They were long past arguing about her job. “Kids?” Beckett managed to stay the word loud enough to be heard through the oxygen mask.

   “They got out.” Jim watched her body relax at the reassurance. “The doctors cleared them after some breathing treatments. They had smoke inhalation along with some minor burns. Nate did suffer some second degree on his leg and back. Kevin and Javier got Jeremy out. He’s got a concussion and six staples in his head.”

   All somewhat minor issues. Beckett was almost too afraid to ask about her husband. There was no way she could be naïve about his injuries. The last thing she saw before the blackness was the blood pooling under her husband.

   He answered so she didn’t have to ask. “They just took him into surgery. The bullet was a clean shot.” He waited until she digested that and gave a not to continue, “He’s got third-degree burns on his right shoulder and chest. There are about second and first-degree burns on about thirty percent of his body. He lost a lot of blood.”

   Beckett squeezed her eyes shut to will the image of her bleeding image from her mind. IN all her years of being a cop, she had never witnessed such a horrifying wound up close. There had been plenty of times she watched a person bleed out from a gunshot and even seen a person beat to a bloody pulp. But actually seeing a person with their throat slashed was far worse.

   “He was on a ventilator before they took him up. They can’t be certain about permeant damage to his trachea and voice box.”

   Voice box? Beckett refused to let that piece of information sink in. A world without hearing her husband’s voice was too unbearable to think about. She refused to believe that she would never hear him spin his crazy CIA theories. Or hear him read his children a bedtime story with dozen different voices. Would fate be that cruel to them? If they did, they would get through it. Together. Just like they always did.

   Jack was too slow to stop his daughter from yanking off the oxygen mask. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

   It took a moment to answer since her lungs screamed in protest of the lack of oxygen. “Clothes.” Beckett wheezed, “Need clothes.”

   “Kate-…”

   “Dad please,” Beckett begged. She was in no condition to be on her feet and she didn’t care. Her family needed her. Her husband needed her.

   Setting his jaw, Jim turned for the duffle bag in a nearby chair that Lanie had retrieved from his daughter’s trunk. There was no use to argue with her once her mind was set on something. That was something he learned a long time ago. “Do I need to call a nurse?” He placed the duffle on the foot of the hospital bed.

   “Just get the doctor to release me.” Beckett waited until the door was closed after her father’s exit to even try to do anything besides breathing. If her father witnessed an ounce of pain he would chain her to the hospital bed. She curled a hand on the edge of the bed for leverage and whimpered at the pain shooting through the limb. It took a good two minutes to get herself into a sitting position and she was in tears. There were far more burns then the ones she could see. The shifting gown rubbed against ones on her shoulder and down her back. Trying not to think about it, Beckett swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The next challenge was to get the IV out of her arm, get to her duffle, and get dressed without passing out.

   Ten minutes later, Jim returned to find his daughter struggling to put on her shoes. “Let me.” He knelt down and took the shoe himself. “Lean on me.”

   Beckett complied, holding onto to him even after he was finished and stood back up. “I’m okay.”

   “The hell you are.” Still, Jim didn’t argue. He simply took out a hair tie he found in the duffle so he could pull Beckett’s singed hair back do it was off her face and neck. It would take cutting off a good chunk of it to fix it. “Can you breathe all right?”

   “Yes.” To prove it, she took in a breath and near crumbled to the floor in pain. “Okay, no, but it doesn’t matter.”

   “Everyone is in the waiting room. It’s not like anyone is alone.”

   “Is Bree here?” Beckett asked trying to derail her father’s argument.

   “She’s at the loft with Martha. We thought it was best not to tell her until we knew everything.”

   Good. The two-year-old didn’t need to be here. She was too young to fully grasp what was going on. All Bree would see is her family hurting and just want to do whatever she could to fix it. “Rick. He…He.” She took a moment to clear the emotions from her voice. “He is always the one who is taking care of everyone. He’s always the rock everyone leans on. Now it’s him in the hospital fighting for his life, I need to be that rock.”

   Jim carefully slipped an arm around his daughter’s waist, “you’re stubborn just like your mother.”

   Walking at first proved to be even a bigger task than getting dressed. Every breath was like breathing in liquid fire leaving her breathless. Each step brought on an intense burning sensation through her entire body. The cotton of her plain black shirt irritated the burns on her back to the point she wanted to put the hospital gown back on. Gritting her teeth, Beckett pushed the pain away and focused on the task of getting to the waiting room. Thankfully, the more she moved the quicker her body adapted to the pain. It went from a crippling sharp feeling to a dull fiery ache.

   In the waiting room on Castle’s floor, Beckett’s gaze immediately to the two young boys. Ryan and Esposito, both with soot-covered faces, flanked the boys in guard and ready to protect if possible. Alexis was pacing the length of the room like a caged animal.

   Nate snapped out of his trance just as his mother dropped to his knees to wrap her arms around both him and Daniel. Tears burned the back of his throat. He wasn’t going to cry. He was a big boy and they didn’t cry. They had to be strong. He had to be strong for his mother. “Mommy.” Fighting a losing battle, Nate pressed his face into her shoulder.

   “Right here, baby. Let me look at you.” She drew away but kept her hands on their shoulders to maintain contact. It was a way to reassure herself that they were indeed okay. Someone had cleaned their faces of soot, though she could see some around their hairlines and temples. Both of their faces were red from the heat of the flames. Daniel had a fresh long his brow to add his healing battered face. Nate had a bit of blistering along the left side of his jaw and a nice shiner forming around his right eye. Beckett noticed that both sets of wrists were bruised from the restraints Jack had used. Thankfully their clothes had protected them a great deal. Beckett could see where the flames had hit cloth instead of flesh.  Nate’s left pant leg was burnt away to the knee and his limb was covered with white gauze.

   Satisfied that neither had any life-threatening injuries, Beckett brought her gaze back up. Nate. Brave little Nate was struggling to hold it all together. Tears were building in his blue eyes and his small shoulders were shaking in an effort to hold the sobs back. Daniel’s face was full of remorse, but the right-year-old seemed steady.  A sob bubbled in her own throat when Daniel shifted in his seat and threw his arms around Nate. Her son clung to his friend and let the tears fall.

   “We’re okay,” Daniel whispered.

   Beckett ran a soothing hand over Nate’s singed hair. “Yes, we are. Everyone is going to be okay.”

   Nate lifted his head, “even dad?”

   Beckett glanced at Alexis from the corner of her eye for some type of guidance. The redhead doctor had a better understanding of the condition the writer was in. Empty promises were something Beckett had managed to avoid thus far with her children. This situation called for it. “Even your father.”

   Daniel settled back in his chair refusing to look anyone in the eye. “I’m sorry.” His voice shook but there were no actual tears. “This is all my fault Leu-ten-ant Castle.”

   “Sweetie this isn’t your fault.” Beckett brushed her fingertips over his discolored cheek. There were so much shame and guilt swirling in his eyes. They were no longer young. It seemed they aged considerably since this morning. As much as Beckett wished there was nothing she could do to change it.

  “But-…”

   Ryan placed a gentle hand on Daniel’s shoulder, “but nothing, Daniel. You’re family.”

   “And we protect our family.” Esposito finished with a warm smile.

   Since the two detectives were distracting the boys, Beckett painfully pushed to her feet. She was grateful when Alexis helped halfway. “How is Jeremy?”

   “They’re about to release him.” Alexis was doing a miserable job of wrangling in her emotions. “I didn’t know what was going on, Kate. Dad rushed out so fast and Jeremy didn’t explain anything before following.”

   “I’m sorry Lex.” If she hadn’t instructed Jeremy to go after Castle he wouldn’t have been put in harm’s way. Finding the boys as quickly as possible had been the only thing on her mind. In the end that proved to be a good thing, If there had been even a moment hesitation then they would have had arrived too late.

   Alexis carefully squeezed her stepmother’s arm, “it’s who he is. It’s part of the reason I love him.”

   The corner of Beckett’s lip lifted in a half attempt to smile, “have you talked to your grandmother?”

   “She’s worried and Brianna is starting to worry.”

   “I should…” Beckett took a moment to gather her racing thoughts. Some many different people needed her and all in a different way. She didn’t even know where to begin or who to comfort first. “I should all Martha.”

   “You should go and talk to Bree.” Jim suggested, “take the boys-…”

   “No!” Both boys protested against that.

    “We’ll watch them,” Ryan assured. “You need to go take care of Brianna.”

   Beckett wavered in a moment of unsure. She wanted to stay here so that the moment the doctors came with news she would be available. But there was something gnawing at her. Something that was pulling her to go to the loft and see her daughter.

   “Go.” Alexis softly insisted. “If anything changes I will call you.”

00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   A sickening feeling coiling in her stomach made Beckett stop short of sliding the key into the loft door. Something was off. She knew to trust her gut long ago. The unlocked door only added to the feeling. Slowly, the Lieutenant unsnapped her holster and gripped the butt of her weapon even though the motion made her hand burn. She peered through the crack of the door into the dim loft. Martha was sprawled face first on the living room carpet, unmoving, and with a nice gash along her cheekbone. Brianna. Kicking open the door, Beckett came into the loft with her gun aimed forward and froze. Her two-year-old daughter was sitting still as a statue next to Jack Carter. The man’s gun was laying in the direction of her midsection.

   “About time you got here.” The corner of Jack’s mouth curved into the most sinister smile Beckett had ever seen. “Brianna-I’m sorry- Bree and I were getting a bit restless.” He started to play with the end of the girl’s braid, “weren’t we?”

   Brianna remained stoic and motionless. Beckett could see just how terrified the girl was by her glass colored eyes. The cap had to swallow the lump of fear forming in her throat and pushed her personal feelings away. That was easier said than done by a long shot. Her daughter, her beautiful little girl, was at the mercy of a monster and his weapon. Jack didn't point it just yet. He had his piece lying out in the open on his lap and within reach. “Bree.” Beckett’s voice squeaked a bit. When things became personal for cop lines began to blur and protocol went out the window. “Baby, are you okay?”

   The two-year-old didn’t even blink. To afraid any none approved movement would be unwise.

   The man sitting next to her gave the girl’s braid a not so gentle tug, “Go on and answer your mother. It’s not wise to listen to your parents.”

   Brianna let out a small ‘I’m fine’.

   God bless her. Brianna’s voice was rock steady. She had more resolve than Beckett. Her hands were trembling so bad she feared the weapon would slip from her hands. Beckett forced her gaze off her daughter and onto Jack. The bastard looked so fucking smug. “Why are you doing this Jack?” Beckett didn’t’ really expect an answer, “you can’t undo what you’ve done. Now you have two attempted murders against you with one of them being a cop.”

   “How is young Jeremiah?” Jack casually crossed his legs like they were having a discussion over coffee. “I didn’t leave Alexis without a husband and baby Kaden without a father did I? By the way Kaden Beckett? That’s a hard name to live up to. Named after a cop dumb enough to let a kid shoot him and another who has become one of the city’s most shining examples of what a cop should be. Though you’ve been shot yourself, so the boy is going to have to be careful.”

   Beckett struggled to block out the nonsense and focus solely on Brianna. “You didn’t.”

   Jack made a tisk sound, “should have hit him harder.” He took his time to stroke a hand over Brianna’s walnut colored hair. “Since you don’t look heartbroken that must mean the writer must have survived.”

   The lieutenant visibly stiffened without a word.

   A slow an easy smile, almost making him look handsome and gentle, crossed the man’s face. “Oh did I pull too hard on the wire? I must have at least caused permanent damage-.”

   Beckett took a step forward, her eyes ablaze with furry, and all but thrust the gun at Jack so hard it nearly left her hands. “You don’t get to talk about him or the damage you’ve done.” Jack’s hand slipped around the butt of his gun stopping her from moving any further. “Let my daughter go, god damn it. Then we can settle this. Just you and me.”

   “Not going to happen, Lieutenant Beckett.”

   The way he said her rank made Beckett feel disgusting. “She has nothing to do with this. For Christ sakes, she’s two years old!”

   “This is your fault,” Jack growled scooting closer to the edge of the couch. “If you hadn’t stuck your nose in my business none, NONE, of this would have happened. Everything that has happened is on you, Lieutenant.”

   “No.” Beckett resisted the urge to shake her head against her words, “you’re the monster. You treated your son like an animal. God knows what you did to your wife.”

   “You’re about to find out. She disobeyed me and paid the price.

   Helpless, Beckett watched Jack stand dragging Brianna up and pinned her against his body. “Stay calm, baby. You’re going to be fine. I promise.” The trembling in her voice betrayed her façade of confidence. “Look at me, sweetie. I promise I’m going to get you out of this.”

   Jack ran the muzzle of the gun behind the young girl’s ear, “I wouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

   With tear blurring her vision, Beckett readjusted her hands on the butt of her weapon, “I will not let you hurt my daughter or any other child.”

   Jack cocked his head to the side to look down at Brianna’s pale face, “what do you think Bree? You think your mommy can save you?”

   The little girl lifted her chin and stared straight into her mother’s eyes. She spoke with the upmost confidence, “my mommy will save me.”

   What happened next would take years for Beckett to comprehend. Brianna let out a shout that sounded like Grams. Whatever she said caused Jack to jerk his weapon towards the crumbled redhead who wasn’t exactly ready to really do much but push to her hands and knees.  Beckett’s attention shifted as she brought her weapon up and squeezed the trigger just as Brianna ram her elbow into Jack’s groin. The man’s howl of pain was lost in the echoing of gunshots.

   Beckett moved to her daughter before Jack’s body hit the floor. With the gun still on Jack, Beckett shoved her daughter away. “Martha.”

   The dazed actress was on her feet and carting Brianna out the front door without a word.

   Beckett kicked the weapon across the room that had slipped from Jack’s limp hand. She had fired two rounds and they both caught the man in his chest in a nice tight grouping. Blood was already pooling under the motionless police officer. His face was frozen in a shocked expression. This outcome hadn’t even been a possibility for him. Beckett relaxed her weapon arm knowing they had only minutes if not just seconds left. “Where did you take your wife?”

   Jack wheezed.

   Pushing her stray hair from her face, she knelt down beside the dying man. “You have one action left in your life. For the love of god do something for your son.”

   His fading gaze slowly moved to look at the woman hovering above him. Blood trickled out at a steady rate from the side of his mouth. On his last breath, he spoke two words.

   Near sobbing, as the adrenaline started to level out, Beckett dropped on the back of her heels. Taking a life, no matter how ugly that life was, still wasn’t easy.  She watched motionless at the blood that started to seep off the rug and onto the hardwood floors. Just like that the thick crimson liquid tarnished over a decade of love and laughter of making a home in this very space. There would be no way in hell that she would ever step into this house and not see her little girl with a gun to her head.

   “Kate.” Martha placed her hands on Beckett’s trembling shoulder, “C'mon baby. It’s done.”

   Beckett snapped out of her trance and looked up at her mother in law’s concerned face, “Brianna.”

   “Safe.” Martha ran her fingers through the wisps of Beckett’s hair, “now let’s get you up, honey.”

   Stumbling like a drunk, Beckett leaned against Martha for support until she was out in the hallway. Seeing Brianna huddled in a little ball near the elevator caused Beckett to snap into a balanced frame of mind. “Baby, are you all right?” She didn’t want for an answer before checking for herself.

   “I’m okay mommy.” Brianna latched her small arms around her mother’s neck. “I’m okay.”

   “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, sweetie.” In all her worry about finding Nate and Daniel, the thought of Jack going after her daughter never crossed her mind. It never crossed her mind that her little girl would ever be in danger. “Mommy is so sorry.”

   Brianna squeezed her eyes tight to make sure no tears escaped, “ ’sokay. Not your fault.” Her voice trembled a little, “I was brave just like you, mommy.”

   “You sure were. You were so brave, baby.” Beckett buried her face in Brianna’s small neck and wept. After a moment or two, she felt Martha kneel down beside them jolting her to the woman’s presence. “Martha. I’m sorry.” Beckett pulled away to look at the actress. The gash had stopped bleeding but there was an alarming amount of dry blood on the woman’s cheek. “Are you okay?”

   Martha shook her head, “I’m okay. I really am.” She wrapped her arms around her family and held on with all her might. “We’re okay.”

0o0o0o0o0o

   When Gates stepped off the elevator to the Castle’s loft she found it swarming with personnel. Martha was being treated by a paramedic near the stairwell with a stunned Brianna glued to her side. Her Lieutenant was leaning against the doorframe leading into the loft with her pale face fixed on something inside. “Martha.” Gates turned her attention first to the frazzled actress.  The paramedic was now carefully taping a bandage to the woman’s face. “Are you all right?”

   “Ask me after a stiff drink,” Martha replied with a weak smile trying her best at her signature charm.

   Gates ran a soothing hand over Brianna’s braid, “what about you, munchkin?” She didn’t see any visible marks or wounds on the girl, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything physiologically wrong. “You okay?”

   Brianna shook her head, “I was brave Nana Gates.”

   The Captain knelt down to gather Brianna close. The poor two-year-old was trembling like a leaf. She pulled her jacket and bundled Brianna in it, “I bet you were.” Gate’s gaze shifted to the girl’s mother, “and Kate?”

   “I’m not sure,” Martha confessed looking in the same direction as the captain.

   “Can you give me a rundown of what happened?”

   That was the last thing Martha wanted to do. She already had to repeat the story three times to the responding officers and just wanted to put this whole ordeal behind her. “I heard keys jingling in the hall and I was so sure it was Kate since she called a little bit before saying she was coming to talk to Brianna about Rick. I opened the door.” Martha pushed the paramedic away to bury her hands into her hair, “I opened the door without looking because I was so sure it was Kate. I didn’t even think for a second it could be Jack. I tried to get Brianna to lock herself in a room, but he was too quick.”

   Gates sat and listened as Martha recounted how Jack had ambushed her. The actress had put up a fight. Gates could see the bruising on her wrist and neck that had been left with her struggle with Jack. In the end, she hadn’t been strong enough against Jack’s brute force. Gates couldn’t imagine the fear that Jack put Martha and Brianna through. If given the chance, Gates knew that Martha would have given her life to protect her granddaughter. “You did good Martha.” The captain squeezed the woman’s shoulder until she uncovered her face.

   “I don’t know what to do for her Victoria.” Martha was speaking of her stoic daughter in law. “Seeing your two-year-old at gunpoint...” The thought had her trailing off since she didn’t have the words.

   “I’ll see what I can do.” Gates approached the open door of the loft and found what Beckett’s gaze had been glued to.  Jack’s lifeless body was sprawled a foot from the office door in a pool of dry blood. An ME was knelt down beside the man with a clipboard in her hand while uniforms worked silently around the house. “Lieutenant Beckett?”

   Beckett only blinked.

   “Kate.” Gates placed a gentle hand on the cop’s shoulder snapping her out of her haze.

   “Sir?” Beckett straightened up and dragged a hand to smooth down her hair trying to shift her mind into police mode.

   “Are you okay?” Gates gestured to her bandaged hands.

   Beckett slipped them into her coat pockets, “yeah.” She found her gaze drifting back to the lifeless man in the loft. She hadn’t been able to muster the courage to step foot inside. She wasn’t sure if she ever could. “I discharged my weapon. I will need to hand it over.” For some reason protocol was buzzing through her mind. IAB would have to launch an investigation into the shooting while placing her on modified duty until they reached a conclusion. Beckett wondered if she would even want to go back to full duty after this.

   “We will get there in a minute.” Gates hated how distance Beckett’s voice was. It was clear that she was struggling to hold it all together. “Can you walk me through what happened?”

   Beckett closed her eyes as the scene replayed in her mind. She made sure that she reported every detail so it was all on record. So that no one could try to say that she used excessive force. No matter how she looked at it, the situation only had one other ending and that was Jack taking their lives. An outcome that she made sure hadn’t happened. “He was going to… to…” Numb, Beckett ran her hands up and down her arms to work out the goosebumps. “I had to shoot him.”

   “You did what was necessary to save your little girl.”

   “I didn’t think,” Beckett rambled on, “I didn’t think about Bree. How could I have not seen that my daughter was in danger?”

   “Look at me.” Gates took Beckett by the arms and jerked her away from the scene inside. “You saved your daughter. You saved your little girl from the monster. That’s all the matters.”

   Beckett could only shake her head.

   “Now this is what I want you to do.” Gates made sure she had her officer’s full attention. “You’re going to get Bree and Martha out of here. You’re going to focus on your family and how to get past this.”

   Tears filled Beckett’s green eyes, “How?”

   The question sounded so helpless that it sliced Gate’s heart deep.  Her family was broken and hurting. All she wanted to do was find the magical words to fix it all. “With time and help.” Gates suggested, “Now give me your weapon and I will take care of everything here.”

   Beckett’s hand hovered over the gun on her belt. If she gave it up now, she was almost a hundred percent sure that she would never pick it up again. Beckett tugged the holster from her hip and placed it in her boss’s awaiting hands. “Thank you, Sir.”

   “Now go to your family.”

   Somehow Beckett got the message to put one foot in front of the other until she was at the other end of the hall. Her father was there. He kneeled in front of Martha with Brianna clinging to his neck with concerned etched into his face. When had he gotten here? And Lanie? The pregnant ME had taken the paramedic’s spot in looking over the redhead. “Dad?”

   “God Katie.” Jim stood with his granddaughter in his arms. He was getting told old to be put through such worry.

   Beckett found herself engulfed in her father’s comforting embrace. She pressed her face to his chest trying to hold back her tears.

   Jim stroked his daughter’s hair trying to do the same, “you’re okay. You’re okay.” He chanted it since it brought him reassurance that she actually was.

   “We okay.” Brianna echoed wrapping a small arm awkwardly around her mother. “Right mommy?”

   “Right.” Beckett turned her head to gaze at her daughter. “We’re okay.”

   “I’m going to get you out of here. Why don’t you go pack some clothes…” Jim felt her stiffen in his arms, “Kate?”

   “I can’t go back in there.” She confessed on a half sob. “I just can’t.”

   “I’ll do it,” Lanie spoke after helping Martha to her feet. She placed a soothing hand on her best friend’s arm, “Sarah has the boy’s at the apartment.”

   “Nate Daniel safe?” Brianna asked.

   Beckett pulled away with her daughter in her arms, “yeah baby, they’re safe.” She couldn’t bring herself to tell the two-year-old about her father’s condition. Brianna had enough trauma for one day.

   Since she looked like she was going to fall over, Jim slipped an arm around Martha’s waist. It was the first time he thought she looked frail. The woman was always vibrant with life. “Let’s get out of here.”

  

   


	12. 5 AM Slumber

   Brianna’s slight shifting awoke Beckett sometime just before dawn. She glanced at the two-year-old nestled in her arms and watched Brianna go still as sleep took her back under. Beckett moved her neck to try to work the kinks out of it. Being stretched out between two chairs with her daughter sleeping on top of her wasn’t the best position for her broken body.  Letting her go through wasn’t even possible. After last night she had no intention of every letting Brianna more than five feet from her sight. Same went for the boys as well. They were current sleeping, a bit uncomfortably, on a pull out in the corner of the room. That had taken a lot of convincing.  Her father and Sara had tried to suggest leaving them at the apartment to separate them from the events of the last twenty-four hours. Beckett agreed at first and then Nate and Daniel begged her not to leave them. They wanted to be close to not only her but Castle as well. There was no need to shield them from Castle’s condition since they already witnessed the incident first handedly. Before they left, she and Sara fixed the boy’s charred hair which was only achievable by buzzing all of it off to a thin fuzzy layer.

   The door opened and Esposito poked his head inside to scan if anyone was awake. He gave his boss a small smile, “you look very uncomfortable there, Beckett.”

   “I am,” Beckett confessed trying to shift to a more comfortable position without waking Brianna. “What time is it?”

   “A little after five.”

   “What are you doing here?”

   “My shift.” Esposito simply explained. They had all been rotating to keep post in the waiting room in case Beckett needed anything and for Castle to wake up. He had arrived about an hour ago to send Jenny home. “How are you feeling?”

   “Like a dragon is breathing down my back,” Beckett replied in a whisper.

   Hearing her mother’s voice, Brianna stirred and tilted her head back, “Mommy?”

   Beckett brushed a stray lock of Brianna’s hair from her brow, “right here, baby.”

   “Daddy awake?”

   “No.”

   “Voices?”

   “That was Uncle Javi.”

   The Hispanic detective moved silently around the room, “hey there little Castle. How are you holding up?”

   Brianna’s eyes moved to the floor, “nightmare.”

   “It’s okay.” He ran a hand over the girl’s hair to smooth down the wisps, “don’t worry, you have a small army of people to protect you. How about you come with me to get mommy coffee and you guys some food.”

   Beckett felt Brianna’s small hands dig into her arm, “it’s okay, sweetie. You’re safe now.”

   Esposito helped her goddaughter climb off the injured woman and stood with her nestled safely in his arms. “How about a chocolate donut?” He accepted Beckett’s silent thank you before heading back out the door.

   Silence filled the room again. The only sounds being made was the beeping of the writer’s heart monitor tracking his heart beat. The sound was much stronger than it was when she first entered the room. Thankfully, there hadn’t been lasting damage to his trachea so they had removed him from the vent once his lungs were clear of smoke. His neck was wrapped in gauze after the doctors had to stick and glue the wound first. Sadly, his hair was in the same condition as hers and the boys. Right now it was singed in random places and would need a clean cut to fix it. He had a few first degree burns on his face with just an inch or two of second just above his left eyebrow. His hands and arms were in the same condition as hers though his burns stretched all the way up to his shoulder. The doctor had informed her that his back was in pretty rough shape that it was almost to the point of needing skin grafts. It was the reason that they had Castle positioned in a weird way that his back wasn’t touching the back of the bed.  The gunshot wound almost seemed insignificant damage to his body.

   Needing to stand, Beckett painfully pushed to her feet to check on the sleeping boys. Nate had kicked off the blanket as he normally did in his sleep so she carefully bent down to pick it up and recover them. Daniel stirred briefly as the cotton of the blanket brushed against the raw skin of his neck then settled back down. The boy’s future was so uncertain now that Jack was dead. She hadn’t even had the courage to tell Daniel he was even dead and it was by her hands. Though Jack wasn’t a good father to Daniel, he was just that. His father. He already lost his mother in a brutal way now he had to go through it all over again with Jack.

   Taking Jack’s life also presented other complications. They had put her on modified duty, which was protocol, and made her house an active crime scene. Also, I could possibly hurt or completely take their chances of gaining custody of Daniel. The possibility of having to give up Beckett hurt too much to think about it. They had promised that they would do whatever it took to keep him and that’s what they were going to do.

   An abnormal sound coming from the equipment monitoring Castle’s vitals had Beckett turning around. Her husband’s hand was twitching erratically. “Rick?” She rushed to his side being careful not to touch him even though she knew it would calm him down. “Rick, honey, can you hear me?”

   His eyes move rapidly under his closed lids.

   “It’s okay. You’re okay.” She carefully brushed her fingers over his cheek feeling his muscles struggling to love. “No don’t try to talk. It’s just going to hurt.”

   Stubborn as always, Castle still tried.

   “Rick you’re safe. Everyone is safe.” Those were the magic words to make him relax a bit. She leaned down closer to his ear and kept her voice only loud enough to be heard, “Jack is dead.” The unspoken how hung in the air because Beckett wasn’t ready to talk about that just yet. He needed to be stronger and not fogged up on painkillers to take the news.

   “Dad?” Nate’s sleepy voice came from the corner of the room as if somehow feeling his father’s awaken state in his sleep.

   Tears burned the back of her throat, “he’s awake. I don’t know how long he’ll stay that way.”

   Nate hoped off the bed in such a hurry that he Jolted Daniel awake. “Dad?” Relief and tears mixed in his trembling voice. He stood on his tippy toes so he could see his father’s eyes flutter open for only a moment before closing shut.

   “He’s going back under Nathan.”

   “I’m not leaving mom’s side.” Nate quickly informed hoping the words go to him before blackness took hold once again. “Because I know you wouldn’t.”

   Beckett gathered him close to her side, “he would be proud of you, Nathan. So proud.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   After a day of her husband going in and out, never staying awake for more than a few minutes at a time, Beckett took the kids back to Alexis’s apartment. The crime scene unit would need another day if not two to completely log the scene before they would even consider allowing anyone back in. Even if it was ready, Beckett couldn’t step a foot over the threshold. If with a gun to her head. Jack and his death had tainted every memory made there. Lanie and Jim had packed as much as they could making sure only to get the essentials.

   Beckett leaned against the door frame to the spare bedroom gazing at the three sleeping children on the bed. There was an air mattress on the floor for her, but sleep wasn’t something that would come. Her mind was to overrun with horrible images of what happened and what could have been. What if she didn’t go home when she did? Would Jack have waited? Or would he have killed Martha and kidnapped Brianna? Or would he just have killed them both before skipping town? Just thinking of it made her heartache.

   Alexis frowned at her stepmother as Beckett watched her siblings sleep. She wished that she had the right words to chase the worry from her eyes. That was her father’s forte. She looked at the sleeping baby in her arms and tried to image the horrors that Beckett had been through not just the last twenty four hours, but the last four years. The thought of losing Kaden was enough to paralyze her with unfathomable fear.

   Jeremy rubbed his wife’s back, “you okay?”

   “I wish I knew what to do” She didn’t know how to feel right now. On one hand, she was ecstatic by motherhood and the life in her arms. On the other her she feared for her father’s life and her step mother’s sanity.

   “The only thing that we can do right now is just be there and give them our love.” The advice was simple but it carried a great weight to it. That was all they could do in this situation. Everyone was hurting and there was no easy fix. “Let me put Kaden to sleep.”

   Alexis passed him their son before she moved to Beckett. “They asleep?”

   “Finally.” Brianna refused to sleep in a separate bed than her ‘brothers’. Beckett had never seen such a tantrum from her before. Beckett had actually expected a worse side effect after the trauma the two-year-old went through. She was still praying that whatever affects it has on her that her young mind would burry so deep that Brianna wouldn’t remember it. That was a horrible way of thinking, but as a mother, Beckett just wanted her children that have a normal childhood. So far that wasn’t the case for any of them. Guess that made her a failure as a mother. “Who is with Rick?”

   “Grams and your dad.”

   Beckett rubbed her tired eyes, “I should get back there.”

   “No, you should get some sleep.” Alexis corrected, “Because no offense you look like crap.”

   The comment failed at its purpose, but Beckett appreciated Alexis’s effort. It was one of that she inherited from Castle that she loved the most. “I’m fine.”

   “Not you’re not Kate.” Alexis tried to keep her voice from waking up the children. “You look like you’re about to fall flat on your face and you’re hurt. You’re trying not to show it, but you are Kate, don’t even argue with me.”

   Beckett was just about to do that only to think better of it and shut her mouth. Arguing with Alexis would just be like go rounds with her father and in the end, get nowhere. “I can’t take a pill you know how they make me.”

   “If it will get you to sleep I’ll shove one down your throat I’ll shove them down your throat myself.” Alexis ignored the soft warning from her husband. Yes, she was being harsh, but the moment called for it. She knew just how stubborn her stepmother could be. If someone didn’t push then Beckett would go until she ran herself into the ground. Literally. “You need to rest. You’re no good to anyone if you don’t take care of yourself.”

   “I can’t sleep.” Beckett reluctantly admitted, keeping her eyes cast downwards. Admitting weakness was something she still struggled with even around those she loved. “Every time I close my eyes I see it. I see the fire circling Nate and Daniel. Then I see the blood. All the blood that was pouring out of your father’s neck.”

   Alexis swallowed her words to let Beckett continue.

      Beckett lifted her gaze to the sleeping children to make sure that they were safe and sound. The little sleep she got in the hospital was full of horrid images of them burning to death. “Then I see Bree. I see… I see…” There was no stopping the fear from leaking into her voice. “I see Jack pointing the gun at her. I can’t-…”

   “You stopped him.” Alexis softly reminded, “Look at them, Kate. They are all fine. A little banged up, but they’re fine thanks to you.”

      “It should have happened in the first place.” Beckett would never forgive herself for putting them in harm’s way. They should have had let Daniel talk them into going back to school.

   Alexis carefully took Beckett by the arm, “it happened. What done is done and no matter how much you dwell there is no way you can change the past.” Beckett had spoken similar words to her after her attacks with Grey. After the first one, she had spent many nights pacing her bedroom going over and over the events in her head. Every time she would look at every detail and try to figure out a different outcome than the one she got. Could she have been faster? What if she had called a cab? Or not wearing her head phones? There were so many things that could have been changed, but Alexis has long accepted that it didn’t matter because, in the end, it would change nothing. Grey still attacked and threw her world upside down and flat on her ass. But it did give her Jeremy. It gave her the best husband and father in the world. It was strange how something so good come out of something so horrible.

   All Beckett could do was nod in understanding. Regardless she wasn’t going to stop thinking and wishing that something different could have been done.  At least maybe until Castle was awake for more than minutes at a time.  “I don’t know who keeps giving you this advice. I think I should have a talk with them.” 

   The corner of Alexis’s mouth twitched it never reached a full smile. There was just too much sadness on her stepmother’s face for it. “I will stay up to watch them, okay.”

   “You’ve got Kaden to take care of.” Beckett tried to argue.

   “Not going to work.” Jeremy chimed in standing with his sleeping son, “we’re up every other hour, so we will rotate. Get some sleep Kate so you can be there for your family.”

    Beckett nodded and forced herself into the bedroom. She picked up the blanket that Nate had kicked to the floor and covered the sleeping children back up. After giving each one a lingering kiss on the head, Beckett forced her body to relax onto the air mattress. Alexis offered to get her a pain pill and she denied it. If anything was to happen Beckett wanted to be on full alert.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   Jim shook the sleep from his mind at the light hand on his shoulder. He smiled up at his daughter, “hey.”

   Beckett did her best to return it, “Hey yourself. You look a bit uncomfortable.”

   Jim unfolded himself from the chair, groaning at the stiffness of his muscles. “I figured it was the gentlemen thing to do to give Martha the pull out.” He looked behind him to find the spot empty. “Where did she go?”

   “Just saw her on my way in getting some coffee.”

   “What time is it?” Jim couldn’t seem to get his eyes to focus on what hi watch was trying to tell him.

   “Just past seven.”

   He raised a brow, “Lexis talk some sense into you?”

   “More like beat it into me.” Beckett corrected as she moved to the side of her husband’s hospital bed. He was too still for her liking. It was hard to see. Castle was always playing with things he wasn’t supposed to, writing, or engaged just as enthusiastically as their kids as he played with them.

   “At least someone could.” Jim pushed to his feet, “the doctor says they’re going to start scaling back the pain meds a little to see if it will help him stay awake longer.”

    “The pain?” Just from the burns on his back, Beckett knew that her husband must be in an immense amount of it.

   “They gave him a trigger pump.” Jim gently kissed his daughter’s cheek, “I’ll leave you alone for a bit.”

   The moment that Jim left the room the writer began to stir. Beckett placed a hand on his arm, being careful not to put too much pressure in the touch. “Rick.” His eyes fluttered and tears instantly filled her eyes. “Come on baby open your eyes for me.”

   It took him several minutes and numerous attempts before he eventually complied. His blue orbs were clouded with pain and confusion. Panic spiked when he tried to speak only to find that he couldn’t.

   “It’s okay.” Beckett kept her voice low and soothing to try to calm him before he could cause himself more pain. “The doctor told me that you will have trouble talking for a bit until the inflammation goes down and the wound heals.”

   His eyes widened.

   “There was no permeant damage to your voice box.” She was never more grateful for their ability to silently communicate as she was at this moment. It was what made them great partners in crime and came in especially helpful when it came to parenting. “It just might take a while before you talk normally and without pain.”

   Castle gave a short nod of understanding before looking around the empty room.

   “They’re with Alexis.” That was not just a battle, but an entire war to get them to stay and not come with her to the hospital. The only reason that they even stayed was because Alexis intervened and used her big sister powers on them. “They’re safe and Jack is gone.”

   _How?_

   Beckett shook her head, “you just need to concentrate on getting better, Rick.” She could tell that he didn’t want to let off the matter because he knew her to well to know that she wasn’t telling him everything. He didn’t need to know right now what happened to Brianna. His body was severely damaged so her husband needed to put all his focus and energy into healing.

   Since he knew that he wasn’t going to get any more out of her, Castle’s gaze flickered up.

   In a self-conscious gesture, Beckett tugged on her freshly cut hair. She had Alexis cut it before leaving for the hospital. It was nearly as short as it was when she first met the writer. “Fire singed quite a bit of it so I chopped it all off. Yours is gone too.” The nurses had buzzed his hair similar to the boys. It was defiantly a sit to see.  The short haircut made him look older by making his face more rugged with define lines of life. His boyish and youthful looks were gone. The writer looked more like a hardened cop and tough as nails. Beckett didn’t like it. Her husband was tough and proved it more than once when needed. It was looking it so sharply wasn’t fitting to his personality. It wasn’t her happy go, lucky man, she fell in love with and showed her the small joys of life along with reassuring her that it was okay to indulge in childish behavior every once in a while. With the same haircut as his father, Beckett could defiantly see the features he had inherited.

   Castle’s eyes began to flutter.

   Beckett gave him a gentle smile wishing that he was able to stay up longer. “Get some rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

   _I love you._

   Beckett heard the words clear as day as if he had spoken the words. “Always.”


	13. 12 PM Confession

    Beckett looked up from the book she was reading when she caught some type of movement from her husband. Reading was how they filled the time since talking was beyond painful for the right. Something he had struggled greatly with over the last two days since waking. She knew that he had questions and Beckett felt ashamed that she kept filling the silence with reading and other things just so she didn’t have to answer them. “Are you in pain?” She closed the book and reached for the trigger to the morphine drip.

   Castle snatched the button before Beckett could press it and flood his system with morphine. The action cost him greatly and he had to fight to keep his breathing normally as the burning pain ripped through his back. Even though most of the time his brain was foggy from pain and meds, Castle recognized that every time that he tried to get her attention off reading she would either change the subject or hit the button for him since he was trying to grit through the pain the best he could. “Kate.” The two-syllable word caused immense pain to work across his through. It took him a minute or two to be able to push himself to speak, “what happened?”

   “You-.”

   “No.” He barked his voice harsh and barely above a whisper. “Not tell something.”

   Beckett shoved her hands through her short hair trying to pick her words carefully. Regardless of how she approached it, he was going to react badly which in turn would cause him more physical pain. This was what she had been trying to avoid until he was healed a bit more and home. Beckett gently put her hands on his arm before starting with the details of what happened at the hospital. She relayed the event that took place after leaving while keeping her eyes on his face. If she saw too much pain, she was going to push the trigger regardless of finishing. Beckett thought her husband showed great restraint is not interrupting her at all. There was a fury building in his blue orbs. IF Jack Carter was still alive Castle would hunt the monster down and kill him in the most painful way possible. She forgot that there was this dark side to the writer. He was always so gentle, loving, and happy go lucky. This part only came out when someone endangered or harmed the people he loved. “Brianna is okay or at least holding up well enough. I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but she doesn’t say much.”

   “She understands.”

   Their daughter did seem to grasp just slightly a bit more than most two-year-olds. It seemed that the Rodger genes helped along with development in those crucial years. Beckett had hoped that Brianna wouldn’t understand everything that happened. That she wouldn’t grasp that her mother had shot a man dead in their home. She wanted her baby girl to hold on to her innocence for as long as possible. “God Rick she was so brave.” Without the distraction, she wasn’t sure what the outcome of that situation would have been. A few days later and Beckett was still trying to process Brianna’s actions.

   Castle’s jaw twitched, “not hurt?”

   “No physically at least.”

   “Mom.”

   “Besides the laceration to her cheekbone, she’s okay.” After talking to her mother in law, Beckett found that the older woman had put up one hell of a fight once she recognized who was on the other side of the door.

   Castle racked his brain trying to figure out how he could have missed said laceration. Then again he hadn’t really been in the best of states and his mother was an actress after all. No doubt she sided with his wife’s choice to keep this from him until later. “Sorry.” He closed his eyes on a long sigh. The pain from talking wasn’t almost unbearable, but he had to get this out.

   “Wait.” Beckett scrummaged around in the duffle bag she had brought with her for a small notebook in pen. Writing would cause the pain in his back to get worse, but it would be no wear the amount talking would cause. She placed the pad on the bed before wrapping his fingers around the pen.

   _Shouldn’t have run off._

   Beckett looked up from the pad to see guilt in his eyes, “I can’t say in the same situation I wouldn’t have done the same.”

   _Not a cop. Shouldn’t take risks. Didn’t think._ Castle wanted to add more but had to stop writing. Brianna never crossed his mind when he ran head first into that burning building. Jeremy had been right. They should have waited until Beckett and the boys showed up. Instead, he put him, his son in law, and the two little boys in more danger.

   “It’s over and that’s all that matters.” Beckett knew that it was going to take more than that to reassure him, but for not it worked. She took the trigger from his hand and pressed the button. “The kids are safe and Jack will never be able to touch them again. You just need to focus on getting better and let me worry about everything else.”

   Castle nodded in acceptance.  Everyone was safe and that was what mattered. If there was anything else being kept from him, he would wait to press on it when he was home.

   The Lieutenant watched her husband surrender to the medicine induced sleep. Seeing him in so much pain was gut wrenching. He was right when he said he should have taken the risk. She was the cop, not him. He was supposed to be the one who would always be safe while she accepted the risk of what being a cop called for. She should be mad and maybe a small part of her was, but she understood his actions and what spurred them.

   “He asleep?” Martha’s voice broke the silence in the room.

   “Yeah.”

   Martha took a seat next to her daughter in law, “he knows?”

   “Yeah. How’d you-.”

   The redhead gently wiped a single tear from Beckett’s cheek, “I can see the pain. I wish that I could have done more. I should have never let him get inside.”

   Beckett nearly recoiled from the touch in disbelief, “Martha he nearly killed you because you were trying to protect your granddaughter.”

   “I should have fought until I was dead.” Martha shifted her gaze to the floor like she was ashamed. “I knew he wasn’t there for me and I should have done more to stop him.”

   “Martha.” Beckett latched her hand with Martha’s, “my daughter is alive because of what you did. I can never thank you enough for that.”

   “And you never do, darling.” Martha patted the hand resting over hers, “our girl helped save herself as much as we did. I keep going over everything that happened in my head and can’t fathom where Bree got the idea.”

   “Neither do I and frankly I don’t care.”

   “Amen to that.” Martha smiled.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   After leaving the hospital, Beckett got in her car to make the long drive upstate to where Daniel once resided. The drive took the better part of three hours and another half of one to drive out to a secluded lake just a couple miles from Carter’s residence. The area of the bank on the far side of the lake was crawling with police and other personnel. She got out of her car and was greeted by an older man with graying hair, “Are you, Detective Shultz?”

   “Zach Shultz.” He offered his hand, “I am safe to assume that you are Lieutenant Beckett?”

   “Yes.” Her gaze flickered over Zach’s shoulder to the crowd of people, “you find her?”

   With a heavy sigh, Zach led the female officer around the lake, “we can only assume at this point, but we will have to pull dentals. I would hate to think that there is more than one body in here.”

   Beckett’s stomach turned when her gaze landed on the slap of concrete that had a decomposing leg and half an arm sticking from it. With their current location in conjunction with the long piece of concrete, Beckett had to conclude that Grace Carter had been dismembered before Jack had encased her in a concrete. She had half expected that on his last breath that Jack would miss lead her in the search of his wife’s body. It seemed like he took her advice and now Daniel would have some type of closure. “A small part of me was hoping that she somehow escaped Jack’s clutches.”

   “I knew Grace.” Zach ran a hand through his thinning hair, “she wouldn’t have left without taking little Danny. That boy was her whole life.”

   “I just wish this all had turned out differently.”

   “Us too. Grace was a good friend growing up and had the kindest heart.” Emotions flooded the man’s voice, “it was a damn shame the day Jack Carter walked into her life. We all tried to tell her he was bad news and then she got knocked up. That isn’t something taken lightly around here so they got married.”

   “I just don’t know how I am going to break this to Daniel.”

   “I hear that you and your husband are looking to adopt him.”

   “We are. Daniel deserves a home and a family that loves him and makes him feel safe.”

   Zach nodded in agreement, “I think that if the courts don’t grant you custody after everything you two have been through they’re crazy. “ He looked back to the body, “I think we are ready to take the body to the morgue if you would like to meet us there.”

   “I’ll follow you.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

   “Nathan!” Two weeks later, Beckett dropped a box onto the front porch before moving to the far edge to yell for her son again. The seven-year-old boy was at the bottom of a dog pile that consisted of the twins, Trey, and Daniel. They were all laughing like idiots. It warmed Beckett’s heart to see Daniel enjoying himself just as much as everyone else. Over the past fourteen days, he had to bury not one but two parents. Daniel had surprised both her and Castle when he had asked to go to Jack’s funeral. Of course, they supported the boy’s decision and went as a family to lay the man to rest. They had been the only ones there. Not even a single member of Jack’s squad had bothered to show. “Nathan be careful of your leg.”

   “I am!” He wiggled out an arm to point to one side of the dog pile to show that his still healing leg was out of harm’s way. “Trust me, mom, I got this.”

   Beckett scuffed and shook her head. That phrase, no matter if it came from her son or husband, always was a prelude to them doing something incredibly stupid. She should put a stop to whatever that might be, but let them carry on in the front yard. There was too much to do at the moment and plus Nate was smiling. Something he hadn’t really done since his near death experience.

   “Don’t worry Mommy.” Brianna was sitting on the edge of the porch with her feet happily dangling down. She picked up her cup of juice, “I got it.”

   Laughing, Beckett carefully bent down to kiss her daughter’s crown, “Then I have nothing to worry about. Sarah Grace make sure you keep an eye on your brothers.”

   Sarah Grace tilted her head back with a grin, “I’ll keep two Auntie Kate.”

   Leaving the two girls to the task of watching the boys, Beckett turned and took a moment to take in the small army in front of her house. She still was left in wonder how quickly Castle had worked his magic for them to purchase the new house. It took some courage, but eventually, she confessed that there was no way she could ever step a foot back into the loft let alone continue raising her family there. Castle did whatever it took to purchase their dream house as quick as possible. Beckett always hated when her husband used his wealth to make things happen since she had the pride to do want to always split expensive in half. In this instance, she didn’t put up a fuss. Jack Carter had tainted the loft with his memory and blood. No amount of bleach and scrubbing could cleanse it away.

   So for the past two weeks, the family had house hopped between family and friends with staying a night or two in a hotel when they thought they were driving them crazy. It just went to show how tight net their family was, blood or not.

   “Behind you KB,” Lanie announced.

   Beckett whirled around with a scowl, “drop the box, Lanie.”

   The ME made a face, “it barely weighs a pound.”

   The officer pointed to the porch floor, “drop. It. now.”

   “All right, all right.” Lanie awkwardly thanks to her very pregnant belly placed the box exactly in the spot Beckett pointed to. “I don’t know why I’m here if you won’t allow me to help.”

   “The boys have the truck. You can help Alexis or Jenny with unpacking if you must do something.” They were down a man with Castle back still raw from the burns he suffered. Plus he still tried very easily from all his other injuries. They were able to recruit other people from the 12th to help them move. “Inside with you.”

   Lanie begrudgingly complied and led the box toting Lieutenant into the house. Boxes were everywhere. Jenny was in the library unpacking the books, while Martha was unloading boxes in the living area while directed Ryan and Esposito where to put the furniture in the right spot. “I’ll go see if I can help Alexis in the kitchen.”

   Beckett followed to drop her box off and check in on her daughter in law. Kaden was happily sleeping in his car seat while his mother unpacked the dishes. “Where is your dad?” Beckett wondered searching for her husband. Last she saw of him, he was feeding their grandson.

   “I sent him to go lay down. Had to pull the doctor card.” Alexis informed, “He didn’t like that very much.”

   “I can imagine. The pizza should be here in about ten minutes. Can you make sure your siblings don’t eat too much? I’m going to go check on Rick.”

   “Of course.”

   Beckett found the man in question in their bedroom sprawled face first on the bed. The healing burns made it difficult for the writer to be in any other position. A pill, most likely instructed by Alexis for him to take, was sitting on the bedside table with an untouched glass of water. Beckett knew it would take her fussing for him to actually take it.

   Castle stirred from his light slumber when the bed shifted under the familiar weight of his wife. Carefully, he turned his head to look at her with a tired smile. Talking was still a struggle.

   Beckett ran her fingers through the short wisps of his hair longing for the day when they would grow back to the length and thickness she loved. “I hear you’re slacking on the whole unpacking thing.”

   “Rest.” His voice was scratchy and low. “Doc’s order.”

   “Heaven forbid if anyone challenged that.” Beckett noticed him shifting, “want to take off your shirt?”

   Castle shook his head.

   “First take this.” Beckett helped him twist and lift his head before taking the pill. “Do it, Rick. There is no need for you to be in pain right now.”

   “Wonder where learned that from,” Castle smirked before taking the pill.

   Satisfied, Beckett carefully removed the shirt from her husband making sure to be careful not to tug too hard or drag it across his back. The skin was bright pink now, with some small patches around the base of his neck in shoulders still blotching and a deep red. The doctors had told him that there would be scars in those areas as they had been the worse of the burns. “Do I need to get the cream?”

   “Just lay.”

   Beckett kicked off her shoes and slid into the bed next to him. Castle readjusted and laid his head on her breast. The sounds of moving, laughter, and conversation could be heard through the closed door. A reminder of how lucky they were in life. No matter how many times that life had pushed them down they were surrounded by people that were more than happy to help them back up. Something that, she figured, she would have missed if the man in her arms hadn’t come into her life. Content, she started to sing to help lull her husband to sleep.

  

 


	14. 8 AM Court Date

     “You okay?” Castle asked Daniel placing a hand gently on his shoulder. His voice was still a bit rough even after months of healing. The scar on his neck was jagged and still bright red making it very noticeable. Today it was mostly hidden thanks to his collar and tie. Daniel couldn’t look at it without feeling guilty.

   The eight-year-old swallowed hard before answering with a soft ‘I’m Fine’ that he knew the writer wouldn’t believe. Truth be told his stomach was in such tight knots that he feared he was going to throw up his breakfast. Daniel was grateful that Castle didn’t press any further than that. Today was the day they were going to find out if the Castles would be his new family. At the current moment, they were waiting for the judge to appear. So he was nestled in between who he hoped would be his siblings with Alexis and Jeremy sitting on Nate’s other side. They were flanked by their cousins who were seated next to their parents with Martha and Jim at the end. Not blood cousin, Daniel reminded himself looking to the left at three Ryan children and then to the right at the two Espositos. Family didn’t have to blood. Beckett and Castle had said that many times to him.

   “Judge is here.” Beckett said after fixing Daniel’s crocked tie, “Come on Daniel.”

   Daniel took one last look at the people that were here to support him before following to the two adults to the table in front of the judge. The man was old with pure white hair and looked, well in Daniel’s mind anyway, a lot like Santa Clause.  It was no comfort to him. His hands were shaking so bad that he dropped his hands to his lap so no one would notice.

   The lawyer that Castle had hired stood next to the table with a paper in his hand. He rattled off a case number and stated the purpose of the hearing. “The parties have both been sworn in.” He turned to the pair, “can you please state your name and occupation?”

   “My name is Kathrine Houghton Castle maiden name, Beckett. I am a Lieutenant with the New York Police Department out of the 12th prescient.” Beckett replied.

   “My birth name is Richard Alexander Rodgers before I legally changed it, Richard Edgar Castle. I am an author, working mostly out of our home.” Castle filled in.

   “Thank you and can you please tell us your current address?” The lawyer waited for them to answer before pushing forward, “Can you please tell us the name of the child that you wish to adopt.”

   “Daniel Reed Carter,” Beckett informed as she put her hand on the eight-year-old’s shoulder.

   “Yes,” Castle answered on a nod.

   The lawyer flipped the page he was holding, “you understand that we are here today to ask the judge to grant this adoption and make it final. That if it is final that this child will become a permeant part of your marriage. Do you both plan to take care of Daniel until he is eighteen years or older?”

   Castle looked at his wife, smiled, and they both answered, “Yes we do.”

   “And you understand the duties of parenting this child? Supporting him finically, emotionally, and physically?” The lawyer asked and was given the same response. “Can you tell the court why you want to adopt this child?”

   Beckett straightened in her chair a bit, “because he deserves a family that will love and take care of him. From the moment I met Daniel I have felt this motherly instinct to protect and help him.”

   Castle squeezed his wife’s hand, “I think that we have proven that we would do whatever it takes to keep Daniel safe and make sure he is happy.”

   “Can I say something?” Nate stood with the question and inched towards the wooden divider that separated him from the trio. “Please.”

   The judge nodded, “go ahead, son.”

   “I want Daniel to be my brother because I love him and we have both been through a lot for our age.” Nate took a moment to control the emotions in his voice. It always happened when he talked of Grey.  “I can’t think of a better person to heal together.”

   “Me too.” Brianna used her brother for balance as she stood up on the bench. “I kiss Daniel owies. Like a good lil sister.”

   Alexis smiled, “Daniel is already our brother in our hearts. You would have to be crazy to think he’s better off somewhere else.”

   “On that note,” The lawyer turned to the judge, “Your honor, if you’re satisfied with that, and we would like the court to make a final decision on the adoption of Daniel Carter.”

   The judge fixed his glasses before smiling at the trio at the table, “I am more than satisfied.” He picked up his pen and with much joy on his face signed the papers in front of him. “If you would please stand.”

   Smiling from ear to ear, the two adults stood up with Daniel in between them.

   “Everything is in order and it’s an honor that on behalf of this court, I sign this decree that legally to make this fine young man your son and legally changing his last name from Carter to Castle.” A cheer from behind the trio filling the room with a joyous noise. The judge waited patiently for it to die down before continuing, “congratulations to the newest member of the Castle clan.”

   Fighting tears, Daniel threw his arms around Beckett as she bent to say something to him and buried his face in her neck.  There was no way he could hold them back. His greatest wish came true. He was part of a family that truly loved him and the fact that they volunteered to do it made it that more emotional. “Thank you, Kate.”

   Beckett chocked down a sob. This was the first time the eight-year-old called her anything but leu-ten-ant Castle. When and if he called her mom she would absolutely lose it. “You never thank someone for loving you. Remember that.”

   Daniel turned and threw himself with the same force into Castle. The writer just held him tight without saying a word about his sobs of joy. Soon the herd of people sitting on the bench behind them spilled out and surrounded him with smiles and hugs. He truly was the luckiest boy in the world. Not only did he get new parents and siblings, but he also got aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents that loved him and accepted him into the family.

   “How about a family picture.” Martha was already pulling a digital camera from her purse.

   “I’ll take it.” The lawyer offered.

   It took some rearranging before the group finally got situated. Daniel was standing shoulder to shoulder with Nate while Brianna was being held by both her parents. Alexis was holding Kaden with Jeremy positioned slightly behind her. Martha and Jim stood on either side of them while the Ryans and Epositios filled in the sides. They all had smiles from ear to ear as the picture was snapped.

   “So,” Castle took Brianna fully into his arms, “I think this calls for a celebration!”

   “French toast?” Nate asked hopefull..

   “I was thinking more of the lines of ice cream, but I’m sure we can do both,” Castle replied. “What do you think, son?”

   Daniel looked up when he realized that Castle had directed the question to him. Tears burned the back of his throat again, “sounds great.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o

   When they got home, Beckett and Castle had to carry all three children inside. They passed out the moment they got in the car after their ice cream parlor celebration. Castle and Beckett carried the two boys up as silently as they could to their bedrooms ups stairs. It was okay to admit now the fears they shared with each other about the possibility of the courts deciding against them. They hadn’t allowed themselves to think about it much until the hearing got closer. Beckett had been afraid that the whole ordeal with Grey would come back to haunt them yet again.

   “No more worrying,” Castle whispered as he gently laid Daniel on his bed. He carefully took off the boy’s jacket and shoes before reaching for the blanket, “it’s done now. He’s ours.”

   “I just fear that I will wake up and find that today has all been a dream,” Beckett repeated Castle’s actions with Nate. Once both boys were covered, the two adults met in front of the doorway. She leaned against her husband on a happy sigh, “you want to know something?”

   Castle wrapped his arms around her to pull her close to her chest, “what?”

   Beckett loved the fact that after so many years together that the warmth of his embrace had never changed. “We’ve had a lot of crazy times over the decade or so. Even with the heartbreak, tears, and everything else we’ve been through, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

   Castle turned her around to face him and took her chin in his hand, “I would to. I love you Kathrine Beckett and I will never stop. Partners in crime for the long haul.”

   “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Richard Castle.” She rose on her toes to press her lips against his, “I love you until the end of time and even after that.”

  

   


	15. Epilogue

   “Mom. Dad”

   “Hmm.” Beckett looked up from the file she was working from to give her full attention to Daniel. The seventeen-year-old was wringing his hands together and shifting his weight from foot to foot. Two sure tells that he was nervous about whatever this conversation was going to be. He had grown in the last nine years even passing Castle by two inches and filled out from the scrawny boy to a leaner swimmer build. He still had the shaggy blonde hair. No amount of badgering could get the boy to change it over the years. She closed the file and nudged her husband to get his attention as well, “serious talk.”

   “What… Oh.” Castle put his tablet down. “Something wrong?”

   “No.” Daniel quickly replied shoving a hand through his overgrown hair. “I just well I want to ask you something.”

   “Sit before you fall down,” Beckett commanded.

   “Right.” The teenager dropped himself into it, “tomorrow is our annual family dinner and well I wanted to bring someone.”

   Castle exchanged a quick glance with his wife before a smile broke out across his face, “a special someone?”

   His cheeks started to redden giving away his answer. The response made his parent’s beam brighter. “Well umm.” He cleared the squeakiness from his voice, “as a matter of fact yes.”

   “We were starting to think that we were too embarrassing for you to let anyone meet us.” Castle happily rambled while wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “See I told you we weren’t lame parents.”

   Beckett leaned her head against Castle’s shoulder, “so is it, Graham? He’s such a nice young boy.”

   “Yes, he’s a…” Daniel stopped short when his brain finally processed everything. He blinked a few times at the adults sitting across from him smiling and happy as could be for him. They were happy because he was happy. It didn’t matter who he liked or what sex. Why had he thought they would act any different than they did? They accepted him in a heartbeat. Why had he spent the entire night before pacing his bedroom trying to come up with an epic speech about how that he like guys over girls?  After all these two people had volunteered a long time ago to be his parents, give him a good home, and most importantly loved him like he was their own. Never once in the last nine years had they treated him any differently than Brianna or Nate. They were patient with him when it came to adjusting to the life they offered after spending the first nine years of his life of fear and pain. Tears burned the back of his throat causing him to turn his face so they wouldn’t see if any slipped past his guard. Was it possible to love them any more than he already did? “You… ugh…. You know I’m gay?”

   “Yes.” Castle simply answered. That was something that he and Beckett figured out a few years back and had been patiently waiting until Daniel approached them about it.

   “And you’re okay with it? With me?”

   “Of course honey,” Beckett reached across the table to lay her hand over his, “we love you and accept you for who you are. We would never try to change you or ask you to be something you’re not. If you do that then you don’t truly love that person. If I have learned anything in my life is when you love a person, truly love a person, then you love everything about them. The good, bad, and ugly. That’s love.”

   “Do you…” Daniel’s gaze bounced back between the adults. He didn’t talk about his real parents very much because it was usually too painful to talk about. “Do you think my mom would have approved.”

   Beckett’s heart tugged at the distressed she caught in the teenager’s voice, “she loved you so I know she would.” After finding Grace Carter’s body, they began to uncover what really happened the night that she died despite the fact both Grace and Jack was gone. Grace had started a plan to smuggle herself and Daniel out of the house and out of town. During the joint investigation, Beckett was a part of, she discovered a unique network of people whose sole purpose in life was to relocate battered women. It was an information network similar to the one that Zoe where only one person knew part of the whole chain. Sometimes that chain was made up of ten different links of people who only knew one stop that the smuggled woman went.  Beckett had made dozens of phone calls and it took three weeks to find the person the Grace contacted to make this all happen. She was informed that the night Grace died was the night she had planned to take Daniel and run leaving everything behind. Jack must have either caught wind or came home when he wasn't supposed to interrupting the plan.

   “Hello!” Nate’s cheerful voice came through the library and into the kitchen moments before the seventeen-year-old entered. His dark hair was ruffled and matted with sweat just like his shirt. He placed his basketball on the counter, ignoring his mom’s disapproving look and joined the trio, “Looks like a serious family meeting. Do I need to apologize for something?”

   “Why?” Castle raised a brow, “did you do something.”

   “So,” Nate bumped shoulders with his brother to change the subject, “Did you tell them?”

   “Yes.”

   “And?”

   “You were right.”

   “Of course I am.” Beaming, He hooked an arm around Daniel’s neck and pulled him close. “You might have the smart and maybe the good looks there Danny boy, but I am always right. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

   “What does Bree have?” Daniel wondered.

   “Mom’s smarts.”

   “Hey now!” Castle grumbled.

   “Sorry, dad.” Both boys replied in unison.

   Beckett grunted but was smiling from ear to ear. The two teenagers began ripping each other, laughing and darted out of the kitchen taking the basketball with them only after she reminded Nate, loudly, to take it off the kitchen counter. Raising two teenage boys was an adventure to say the lease.


End file.
